IES Abroad Reviews

Living in Auckland lit a fire in me to take on every day with no constraints, to deeply love people from entirely different walks of life, and revealed the blessing of speaking one's word into action. It was the most life-changing, inspiring, and empowering gift I have ever received. I went to class daily, but learned so much more from my interactions and relationships built outside the classroom. I took advantage of my 3-day weekends (I didn't have Friday class), and traveled every chance I could. I went deep-sea fishing, visited Goats Island and vacation homes with the locals, traveled to South Island to see Christchurch, Queenstown, and Milford Sound, and I joined the Canoe Club at Auckland Uni. I was the only member of IES to live in a home stay while I was abroad and I absolutely loved it. I wish I had invested more in the IES kids from America--whether that be visiting their flats after class or grabbing more meals with them, but overall I was able to balance my time between my host family and interacting with the other study abroad students just fine. Auckland was so so good to me and I cannot wait to return someday.

My semester abroad in Granada is something I will remember forever. My courses encouraged deep knowledge and love of the city and my professors were incredibly passionate about their subjects. Walking to the IES center every day was not always the best fun (especially in the rain when I forgot to pack rainboots!), but with every foot the city became more like home. A definite highlight was the trip to Morocco, where I was pushed far out of my comfort zone and from that was able to gain understanding of other ways of life. My biggest difficulty was trying to befriend local students in Granada, which was hard to do even with the help of the Intercambio program. However overall, I could not have chosen a better way to spend my time abroad! Granada is a magical city that will inspire you to say "No pasa nada!" and teach you to truly embrace life in all its little moments.

This program was absolutely incredible. I had always wanted to visit Ireland, and IES only made that experience better. The academics were everything I wanted-- great topics taught by great instructors who really were interested in giving their students the best experience, culturally and academically. Living in Dublin allowed me to make lifelong friends who I keep in touch with to this day, and I have the IES program to thank for that.

Italians say "in bocca al lupo" when wishing someone good luck. The most literal translation is "in the mouth of a wolf." My study abroad experience can be captured in this small phrase. The four months I spent in Rome were about getting outside of my comfort zone, experiencing new things, and embracing a new culture and lifestyle. As part of my daily life in Rome, I was fortunate to have participated in a social action program. I was placed as an English TA at a local high school, where I was able to meet dozens of kind and passionate students, some of whom have become my lifelong friends. This challenging experience allowed me to form wonderful relationships of reciprocity, which made it that much harder to leave Rome at the end of my study abroad program. Rome is truly the most beautiful city, rich with history, and full of adventure. If you find yourself there, embrace every moment, because I guarantee that your experience will leave you with a renewed perspective and passion for life. In bocca al lupo!

Amsterdam almost immediately felt like home. There is always something to do, but the city doesn't feel overwhelming. It's very walkable and there are tons of amazing bakeries, shops, cafes, and book stores pretty much anywhere you go. There is so much diversity and culture that there is truly something here for everyone.

I was over 4,000 miles away from home, working in an ancient city filled with passion, history, and adventure. The IES Rome Summer Internship Program gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons, and grow as a person. I worked at a small boutique company next to the Pantheon with co-workers who spoke mainly Italian. From about 20 or more choices of companies IES felt fit my interests and hobbies, I chose the internship that was business focused and would help me improve my Italian language skills. I worked on translations on websites, counting inventory, and communicating with the customers. The relationships I formed with my bosses and co-workers became very strong, and I maintain my connections today through Skype and and other forms of social media.

The program lasted about two months, and in those two months I traveled throughout Italy, formed new friendships, and adapted to a different culture. The apartment I lived in helped immerse me into the Italian culture, and the social and nightlife scenes expanded my knowledge and admiration of the wonderful city.

The staff at IES was helpful in so many ways, which really helped my overall experience. Whether it be asking for directions or advice on where to eat, or even a medical concern, the staff was there and available every second of the day. They truly helped make sure you were enjoying your experience and making the most of it.

One piece of advice on travel luggage I would suggest is to make sure you have room for bringing gifts and souvenirs home. I came over with a pair of towels and sheets with the knowledge I was leaving them there, which gave me more room for gifts when I returned home.

All in all, I was more than delighted with the program and would recommend it to any and everyone. If you are looking for a program that will help you grow professionally and personally, allow you to explore and travel new cities, and create relationships and memories that will last a lifetime, this is the program for you!

Having the opportunity to study abroad in Paris, France was truly the chance of a lifetime. The staff at IES truly made me comfortable both with my studies and living in Paris in general. Day to day life in Paris took some getting used to, but after a couple weeks, things like the metro became second nature. Another positive of the program was having all of the classes taught in French; this was something I found intimidating before my arrival but I really can't imagine not having this component of the program. My French speaking and comprehension skills improved drastically because of the classes, staff, and my home stay. Definitely take advantage of Paris as a city; you can learn just as much from walking around and visiting museums and monuments as you would from a textbook. Don't be intimidated by the language and people; they may seem impatient which might make you nervous about speaking with them, but they truly are patient and want to help you learn. One piece of advice is to become as familiar with the metro as possible - it will truly become your best friend when trying to get around the city! It took me a bit to get used to, but once you get familiar with it, you will be so grateful.

It's not hyperbole to say that this experience changed my life. Although I've worked in office environments before (for nearly 7 years, in my prior life as a graphic artist and military contractor), this internship took place in a setting that was incredibly fulfilling creatively, personally, and professionally.

My coworkers were more than happy, after the initial period of getting to know each other, to offer me all sorts of personal insights about Irish culture, and they were often curious about my perspective on things as an American.

In broader terms, the experience taught me a lot of self-reliance, and it also taught me something that I hadn't realized yet, even at my age (29 years, at the time): I was okay with, and even relished, time spent by myself exploring. Dublin, and Ireland itself, is very safe for Americans and I felt comfortable traveling all over the country by myself.

In more specifics, I found the IES center to be in a great location in Dublin-- easy to access, and easy to get to from wherever we happened to be. I worked on the outskirts of the Dublin Metropolitan area, so it was a bit of a commute to and from work, but it was easy to get from work to our classes, or from work to our apartments. The public transportation in Dublin is a bit confusing at first, but we got the hang of it pretty quickly.

The seminars we were required to attend were, while time-consuming, totally relevant to learning about Irish culture and history, and I found it fascinating (even on the days we were exhausted). It was also really useful for learning about what our fellow interns were doing, since we were prettymuch all placed in different places, so the work we did and the experiences we had were really valid.

About halfway through our time in Dublin, our lecturer decided that we should spend at least one of the two seminar periods out and about the city, and for the remaining weeks we got to do things like attend a live broadcast of a news talk show, see a Spanish sailboat at the docks, watch a senior club Hurling match, and even went to one club to learn about Gaelic Games and play them ourselves! Getting out into the city with a knowledgeable, native guide was really fun and also really useful.

I never felt lost or really on my own in my time there-- I felt like there were resources, if I needed them, and luckily I didn't feel like I needed too many.

It was a shock coming back to America, and in the months I've been back, I've actually decided to try relocating to Dublin after I graduate so I can live and work there. Never, ever would have considered living outside of America before... but, there are things I can get in Dublin that I can't get anywhere else in the world.

The most important things that I learned didn't end up being what was taught in the classroom, nor was the most special part of my experience the things that I saw; though I must admit, the lavender fields and the treasured ruins left behind by the Romans were more beauty than I should ever think to behold in a lifetime. Arles is a city full of life and art and foods all fit to satisfy the soul. So much beauty can be found there, in both the place and it's people. It's the things that I learned from them that made my experience so grand.
Van Gogh taught me to see every yellow of the spectrum. This man is everywhere in Arles, though he only spent one year of his life there. I could feel him in L'Espace Van Gogh, in the little museum that recounts his life so well, and even in the sunflowers he so carefully painted while residing there.
My host mother taught me how to be strong. As a single mother of two, twin four-year-old girls working multiple jobs and doing all that she can for her daughters, she's one of the strongest people I know.
My host sisters taught me patience. Something about being taught daily by four-year olds makes you quite humble, I would say. And when they don't understand why you sometimes cannot understand them is where the patience bit of it comes in.
My good friend Hayley, also a student in the program, taught me how to love absolutely everyone. She showed kindness to everyone she met and never failed to be there for me and others. The friendship that we created in Arles has continued even over some odd 800 miles apart.
One of our professors taught me what to do when the waitress places a whole fish, eyeballs and all, in front of you at lunch. Three times a week, we ate lunch with faculty and other students, dining at local restaurants. One afternoon at "Le Bistrot Des Artistes," fresh fish was on the menu, and after one look at my horrified face, our kind professor taught me the delicate art of cutting and de-boning the fish, exhibiting how to eat "lentement," "slowly."
Each morning on my way to class, I would see the same man playing the guitar on the side of the road. He taught me contentment. Every morning he would sit idly in the same spot along the main street and fill the morning air with beautiful, simple tunes. Sometimes he would make eye contact, other times his fingers demanded his attention, but always he looked content in his usual place doing something he evidently loved.
The man who was my lavender field tour guide taught me that the things you dream are always possible. As he drove our van of eight through winding hills overlooking patches of lavender and greens below, he told us that he had lived out West for many years working with horses. His dream had always been to be a cowboy.
I traveled to Nice on a free weekend alone, and a group of locals invited me to join them for beach volleyball. One of the little girls kept asking me how to say words in English, ecstatic when she could remember how to say, "how are you?" when I asked her. Though brief, this little girl will forever be in my mind. She showed me her determination to learn, even in a setting of play.
My fellow hostel-goers in Nice taught me confidence--don't be afraid to talk to those you don't know. Usually they're looking for the same thing you are, to make a friend in an unknown place. I met a friend that I still keep in contact with at the hostel, and we spent the day pretending to be art critics in the contemporary art museum and getting lost in the streets of "The Old Town."
Oh, and the people of Arles taught me how to dance. And I mean really dance. They dance with such vitality, such joy and don't mind who's watching. They pulled us in to join their traditional dances, taking our hands and laughing along with us at our attempts.
Then there's what I learned about myself, and that is this: When you're in a foreign place where you don't know anyone, you learn a great deal about yourself. Though you spend much time with fellow students, in class, and with host families, you still have a fair amount of time on your own. You get to explore a place that by the end, you feel a part of. You realize the importance of connections and you learn that taking time to be on your own isn't necessarily a bad thing. You learn how to be patient with yourself (speaking constant French was definitely a test of that for me).
It was hard, I won't say that it wasn't. Oftentimes I wished to leave as the classes were difficult and I sometimes felt alone. It's not until I returned that I fully saw how much my time in Arles impacted me. I am so grateful to Arles for making me a stronger person, for sharing its beauty , and for allowing me to grow more than I ever have.

I was a student at Trinity for the 2014 Hilary Term, and I was really impressed by the housing IES secured for my peers and me. Not only was it spacious enough to comfortably house four, it was also only a 5 minute walk to campus. The program leaders made sure to check in with us on a regular basis and our RAs made sure to plan fun and authentic outings for us at least once a month (my favorite was going to see a Gaelic Football match at Croke Park). Trinity has a strong academic program that is largely pushed by student initiative (my department, Theology, did not have continuous assessment like its American counterpart), which I appreciated because it allowed me the freedom to work homework around my travel schedule. Also, because I was directly enrolled in the college, I had the opportunity to make a lot of Irish friends, which was my favorite part of my time abroad.