IES Abroad Reviews

IES set up our program with just the right amount of structure and freedom. When we first arrived, they provided many opportunities for us to get to know the other students in the program as well as Freiburg. We've taken several optional trips, planned and paid for by IES, to the Swiss alps and France. If ever I need support, for personal or school related needs, I know I can ask any of the supportive, kind IES employees. It's so wonderful here!

Ok, I don't actually go to school with Darwin, but I do attend class with Darwin's finches, sea lions, Pacific green turtles and marine iguanas. I can see the ocean from each of the island's three classrooms. I spend every weekend and afternoon snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking, or photographing the incredibly tame wildlife. I eat delicious, three course, three dollar lunches every day. I've learned Spanish by hanging out at the local bar and eating meals with my host family. I love my academic classes, I love my professors, and I love my classmates. A hidden gem of the program: you actually spend the first month in Quito, Ecuador: living in a South American metropolis, spending a week in the Amazon, hiking the Andes, witnessing centuries-old culture and architecture. This program is a DREAM.

Years ago when I was selecting my undergrad college, the number two thing I sought was a school that would allow me to study abroad in Vienna. Unlike most students, I had the unique opportunity to tour Europe with my high school choir and of all the places we went (including Venice, Munich and Paris) it was, as the song says: Wien, Wien, nur du allein! The IES program is what my school offered so that is the program I applied to.

Back in those days (I am an '87-88 full year abroad alum) the app process was slow and laborious and communication difficult, but I arrived in Vienna a few days before the start of my program with a basic knowledge of how to ask for directions in German and a desire to see things. Best decision ever! That first day I went all over the city on my own on public transit - 19 and full of confidence. I even hopped the U-Bahn and rode out to Schoenbrunn Palace - a place I would later consider my personal backyard.

By the time the program started, Vienna already felt like home to me. We were taken to Mariazell for orientation and to choose roommates. I had come alone and was an only child, so when no one chose to room with me, I took a single alllll the way out in the 14th district. Probably never would have done it had I not seen the city first. Again, best decision ever! I lived with a family and unlike my program colleagues I was hit gold. Hietzing is the "diplomats district" and is full of ambassadorial residences and wealthy people. My housing was a private flat in the basement of an enormous single family home. I had my own bathroom with shower and was allowed to use the family washing machine whenever I wanted to. Because I lived so far from the school (which is in a former palace) centrally located just off the Kaertnerstrasse I commuted daily by U-Bahn -- which is on the honor system but let me tell you, do NOT think you can get away with no ticket. You will be caught and fined. You had to register at the local police department when you arrived so that they knew who you were and where you lived. IES gave us directions on how to do this, but essentially everyone learned on their own.

Some highlights of my year: I joined the English speaking Catholic church across from the US Embassy and when they heard me singing they made me the regular Sunday cantor! Singing in a peace choir with some expat Brits and Irish at St Stephen's cathedral. Shopping at the Flohmarkt. Making friends with a Kansan who was au pairing with an opera singer and sitting front row at the Musikverein for a charity concert. Austrian Art and Architecture class. The Christkindlemarkt. Easter in the Tatra Mountains. Being followed through the Rathaus by a skinhead telling our study group that the holocaust was a fake. Hearing T'Pau perform live in the middle of the Hofburg courtyard. Commuting daily with hausfraus and their "rat dogs." Picnics on the Donauinsel. Lunch at the Hochschule fur Musik and hearing musicians practice through out open classroom windows. Those little Manner eirbiscotten (not available in the US). Nom-Mix yogurt. Schnitzel at "The Green Gasthaus." The recorded voice of the man on the U-Bahn and Strassenbahn. Stehplatz at the opera. Visiting the Tiergarten at Schoenbrunn. Hiking in the Wienerwald. Study trips to Krems, Melk, Prague, Krakow, Auschwitz, Moscow, Berlin and Budapest were quite amazing. And so much more!

Vienna is an immensely liveable city and to this day I often say it's a great place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit there. Its location at the intersection of east and west gives you so many many options. One piece of advice: don't limit yourself! Travel. Take risks. Explore beyond the city. Immerse yourself in Austria - she will never leave your heart.

As a first-timer for everything "Paris" and Europe in general, my initial thought process to "study" in Paris was rather commonplace: to live in the romance of "Paris" and with anything "Parisian" for a full semester. Believe it or not, I did get that glimpse of Paris in a nutshell but so much more.

As cliché as this may sound, this entire abroad experience really was “what you made of it.” And Paris BIA, I would say, was the perfect program to create that required balance to fully enjoy your experience. This program supports and caters to your own academic and social regimen; various activities include local-French homestay housing, internships, language partner programs, and optional field trips. The Paris BIA program also offers engaging and niche-oriented courses, allowing you seek out your academic interest. For example, due to Mr. Robert Olorenshaw’s Luxury Brand Management course, I had found my passion in luxury brand marketing, and was able to secure a summer internship at a high-end luxury brand in Paris.

I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful French family during my program as well, and they now have become incredibly partial to my life as I have frequently made visits back in Paris and in New York City to meet up since the program ended a year ago. While taking courses within the BIA program, I also benefited from taking business courses at the French Business School, Negocia, and made life-long relationships with both local and international students.

I believe Paris BIA is not one of those ordinary programs that act as a backbone of your frequent travels every weekend. Yes, you do have the leisure to experience and step outside of Paris, but know that this program is definitely worth your time and attention for that once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Studying abroad in Granada was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had. I could talk about it forever, but here are some of the things about IES Granada that I think set it apart:

IES staff/professors:
The IES staff are some of the nicest people I have ever met. The program director, Javier, knows every single student by name and does a wonderful job making everyone feel at home. Everyone who works for IES Granada is dedicated to making the students feel comfortable with classes and the city, and will take extra time to help with personal problems or trip planning. Every professor I had challenged us with interesting and relevant material. I took all of my classes in Spanish, and it was very rewarding to know that I not only understood the language, but also I could also comprehend challenging academic material in Spanish. The Spanish grammar class aimed to teach us practical, local Spanish usage, so it really helped with day-to-day life in Granada. The work wasn't too difficult, but I really felt like I was leaning useful information.

The city:
Granada is a great city for students. There are tons of international students there, so it's easy to feel like you fit in. It's also a perfect size. It's a small enough city that you can walk just about everywhere, but doesn't feel too small. I lived about 30 minutes from IES and walked every day. Walking around and exploring with friends is a great way to discover the lesser-known parts of the city and meet interesting locals. There is also such an incredible history and mixture of cultures in Granada. The city has so much to offer to students.

Trips:
IES field trips were one of my favorite parts of the program. The first trip was to Cabo de Gata, where did a 13-mile hike along the coast of the Mediterranean. We also went to Málaga, Sevilla, Ronda, and Córdoba. The best trip was to Morocco. This is something you just have to do. We stayed with host families in Rabat, talked to University students about Moroccan culture and politics, and cooked lunch at the home of a family that lived in the mountains and spoke to them through a translator. It was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on.

Recommendations:
-Speak Spanish!! Speak to locals in Spanish. Don't try to get them to speak English. It's really the only way to learn.
-Take as many classes in Spanish as you possibly can.
-Take Islamic Art and Architecture--this was by far my favorite class. You get to learn about the history of Granada and go out on weekly visits to architectural sites, including the Alhambra and the cathedral. We had several classes in the Alhambra and got to visit locations closed off to the general public.
-Go out for tapas with friends.
-Make friends with the locals. They can show you a side of Granada you would never get to see otherwise.
-Explore and take advantage of every opportunity given to you.

Overall, my experience in Granada was amazing. I loved everything about the city and made friends that I will keep for life.

One of the difficulties that I faced as a non-native Spanish speaker in Granada was the fact that many of the people in restaurants, cafes, and bars wanted to speak English to my friends and I. A large reason I was in Spain was to truly learn and practice my Spanish, and it was frustrating to be spoken English to. Generally, I would just respond to all their questions in Spanish until they got the hint, or I would request for them to speak Spanish to me, explaining that I was a student.

When I was first looking at study abroad programs, I thought that I wanted to be in rural France, in a smaller town, because I did not think I would enjoy living in a city. IES Paris completely changed my mind about that. The staff and professors are welcoming and go above and beyond to help you adjust to life in Paris. There are so many great events scheduled to enable you to learn as much about the culture as possible, both mandatory and voluntary. I fell right into learning and participating in French in my classes because of the excellent week of preparation they gave us before class started.

The only stressful thing I experienced the entire semester was that my housemate and I made the decision to move out of our first host parent's house. This was not the fault of the program--the woman who we lived with had just hosted a student last semester and everything had worked out fine. It was just not a good fit for the two of us. Throughout the entire process of deciding to move out and finding a new host family, the staff at IES was so reassuring and supportive. It made everything so much easier, and my housemate and I ended up with an amazing family who we got very close with. Ultimately, it was the right decision, and IES Paris empowered us to make it. The program truly helped me find my independence and grow as a person, in this way in many others.

Living and studying in Buenos Aires was an unforgettable experience, and I often find myself day dreaming of the day when I can return. A normal week day consisted of class, good dinner conversation with my host family, and often an evening activity like choir or basketball (which I would highly recommend getting involved in; the more things you participate in the more you begin to feel like you belong, and the more opportunities to practice the language). The weekends, sometimes starting Thursday nights, consisted of strolls through the many markets and neighborhoods during the day (again I would recommend taking advantage of everyday to go explore a new place, take a bus or train to a stop you've never gone and get off, most everywhere is safe during the day), and at nights a nice dinner followed by a trip to one of the many pubs or boliches that the vast nightlife offers. To any person who is open to new and different experiences and willing to adapt and learn in a foreign place, Buenos Aires is a great South American city with a European flavor that makes it distinct and a true metropolis.

I absolutely loved my time in London with this program. They scheduled trips for the group throughout the semester which were fun. You had to pay for them but for all the things we did it was definitely worth it. Class was also fun. I think that they have a good variety on the types of classes you can take. I took one on British Youth Culture and it turned out to be my favorite. It was cool to learn about the culture while living in it.
London itself is a wonderful city to explore. There is so much to do from visiting all the historical places to exploring its night life. I had an internship and it was the highlight of my semester. My workplace was great and being able to experience their work culture was a unique experience. It also helped be better assimilate to the culture. I loved my time in London.

I cannot say enough about the IES Kunming program. I did it in the summer 2012 and was hands down the best summer. It kicked off my study abroad experience in China (first time over here!) and I am grateful for the opportunities that I had. There were 9 students and 4 incredible staff members (both American and Chinese), which made for a fabulous group, very close knit. The staff are well tuned in to the group feeling and dynamic, as well as can offer an abundance of knowledge about China and the Greater Mekong Subregion/Southeast Asia.

The first 4 weeks I took Chinese classes where my Chinese improved exponentially. I also took the Environmental area studies course, which is great because Yunnan is a biodiversity hotspot. We took weekend trips to different cities in the province to supplement our learning by actually visiting the dams, rivers, and relocated villages we were learning about.

But the best was taking a 17 day trip through Thailand and Laos, down the Mekong River, meeting with officials from organizations like the Asian Development Bank, visiting Buddhist sites, staying over in a mountain village, and riding elephants! I learned so much about this region, especially about the growing importance of Southeast Asia and China relations.

While you should unhesitatingly do the summer program (also offers an economic track that can take you through Vietnam and Laos!), the Kunming program is now also offered for the academic year starting Fall 2013, which I am quite jealous of anyone going for that!

The city of Kunming itself is wonderful. The weather that stays around 65-75 F is the origin of Kunming's nickname, "city of eternal spring." It's a slower paced city but still plenty of things to go out and see, in and around the city! There's a growing music scene, as well as delicious food that has some Southeast Asian influence. Unlike any city I've been to before, highly recommend doing this program!