IES Abroad Reviews

My experience studying abroad in Dublin is probably going to be the biggest adventure I ever had in my life. I was really excited about the Irish Studies program because I have always wanted to learn more about the Irish culture so it was a perfect fit. The classes were very interesting and the teachers were so knowledgeable. I am so thankful for the great teachers that I had in the program because they taught me a lot and they were very nice people. In one of my classes, we would take walks around the city of Dublin and the teacher would stop and tell us about Dublin’s history and it’s present day. Being in this program allowed me to be independent but I also had teachers and faculty close by if I ever needed assistance. I loved the way the classes were scheduled because it gave me great opportunities to explore Dublin and to travel to other countries on the weekend. The IES program had many field trips that we could attend which they planned out really well. One of my favorite moments from my abroad experience was cycling through Killarney National Park. It was such a beautiful day and the park was very pretty. The IES program helped me feel more connected to my classmates and to the culture in Dublin. I can’t wait for the day when I can go back to Dublin and relive the great times that I had.

Granada is the ideal city for anyone looking for a study abroad experience in which they can immerse themselves as much as possible in Spanish culture. Granada is known to be one of the safest cities in Spain and even Europe, and I definitely felt even safer there than I do in many cities in the U.S.
I chose the host family option for housing, and was placed with a single 64 year-old woman who was so loving and welcoming to me. I had a roommate but we each had our own room. My host mom was an amazing chef (some of the best food I had in Granada was made by her!), very clean, and extremely caring. I had bronchitis during the semester, and she insisted on coming to the doctors and pharmacy with me, and took special care of me while I was healing.
The program staff struck the perfect balance of helping us when we needed and providing activities and trips, while also letting us be independent and make our experiences our own.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the music semester program at IES Abroad Vienna. The IES center itself, a clean, well-maintained (as old as it is), historic, beautiful palace has a central, accessible location that is relatively close to two metro stations. The classes are manageable, allowing study abroad students ample time to explore the city and immerse themselves in all Vienna has to offer, from its many world-class concerts to rich history to unique culture. I loved the easy access to many extremely affordable concerts: 4 euro standing room tickets at the Vienna State Opera, 6 euro tickets to Musikverein concerts… Attending so many high quality concerts exposed me to excellent music-making, a wide range of repertoire, and really helped me grow as a musician.
The faculty are knowledgeable and well-connected in Vienna, giving students access to a wealth of cultural insight. The applied music faculty consists of professors and professional musicians from Viennese conservatories and music schools, and this opportunity to work with local, professional musicians was very, very rewarding—I loved my teachers and learned a lot. IES Abroad Vienna is a bit lenient on attendance, but not so much that it interfered with the quality of classes. The IES staff are very helpful, friendly, and quite organized. IES also offers excellent well-planned, optional excursions for additional fees.
I lived in the Margaretenstraβe apartments, which were very nice and comfortable to live in and made traveling anywhere in the city, and on the continent, very easy, with easy connection to the train station and airport. There are also very nice practice rooms next door to the Margaretenstraβe apartments, making practicing a breeze. In all, I had a wonderful time at IES Abroad Vienna and would highly recommend it to aspiring musicians.

I cannot recommend this program enough. The staff at IES are so kind and willing to help with anything and everything you might need. They also have awesome orientation programs set up to help the group bond and get an introduction to the culture. We got to spend two nights on Waiheke Island (just a ferry ride away from Auckland), where we stayed in a Maori marae (meeting house for the native New Zealand peoples).
New Zealand itself is simply wonderful. From the amazingly kind-hearted people to the incredible outdoors, New Zealand offers an experience you will never want to end!

IES Abroad Salamanca runs a good program. All of the staff members know their stuff and will be there to help you with all the practical details of life abroad. At the same time, the staff are personable and put a lot of effort into getting to know you as an individual. I particularly appreciated the efforts of the staff when my computer and wallet got stolen (Salamanca isn’t dangerous, I was just being stupid); due to the timely help I received from the staff at the IES center, I was eventually able to recover all of my lost items. The academic programs provided by IES are fairly easy but generally interesting, but you can also enroll at USAL (the public university) or UPSA (the private university), which is a big plus for those looking for maximal cultural and linguistic immersion. Salamanca is also a great city to study in. The size is perfect, the Castilian Spanish is easily comprehensible, and there is a big student population which keeps things lively. The only downside might be the winter weather, which is quite cold.

If you are looking to study internationally while also fulfilling your major requirements for International Politics, Business, or Econ; or just looking to travel a lot while learning, this is the program for you! I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with this program. For starters I was able to learn so much about the European Union not only in the classroom, but by traveling to different countries and hearing how the EU affects them as a country or even individually. That was probably the most important part of the program, because I don't think it would have been enough to just have sat in a classroom to learn about this material. It was also a great way to experience the different cultures and not just that of your host country. I would like to also say that the staff is absolutely phenomenal. They really care about your experience and do everything they can to make sure you are getting the most out of the program. The teachers are also there for the students! All of the classes I took were really interesting subjects and the professors really brought them to life. Plus the classroom setting is incredibly small so it leaves time for one-on-one help if you need it. This program really helped me to step out of my comfort zone and become more independent! The only issue I had during my entire experience was the fact that the program was a little isolated from Freiburg University. If you were looking to make friends with the locals it was difficult to do, unless you lived in a flat (which I didn't). So for the most part we hung out with each other. This also made it difficult to really submerge yourself in the culture and learn the language. Most Germans in this area were incredibly excited to have the ability to practice their English with someone, so sometimes you didn't get the chance to improve your German. Anyways, I would 100% recommend this program and would do it again if given the chance.

This program advertises that you'll be immersed in French language and culture, and that is completely true. But it's impossible to describe what all you'll get from this program. The staff at IES Nantes are very committed to making your stay in France the best possible. Anything you are worried about, they are there for you & willing to listen. The program provides the perfect mixture of a feeling of home in a foreign country, while also challenging you to go outside of your comfort zone. Most of your courses will probably be at the IES Center, with the rest of your American classmates. But, you have the option to take courses at the University in Nantes, with French students! This is one example of the combination of the comfortable but challenging aspect of the program. I took a sociology class at the university and the professor modified the course so that it would be a more level playing field with the native French students. It was definitely still a challenge, but nothing unmanageable. It is one of the most interesting experiences I took from Nantes, and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity. I highly recommend it!

In particular, Freiburg is a beautiful place; in the winter there is snow, then comes rain, and in spring time the hills are green and the sun breaks through with warmth. Freiburg is a student town, the German culture is different; it's welcoming, a breath of fresh air, and eye opening. My time abroad, I always felt safe. I also had the opportunity to learn German, which is a goal that I have always wanted to fulfill. I got to participate in the Freiburg Marathon during April with a few of my friends as well as a few faculty members from the program. It was a lot of fun being able to run a 14km through Freiburg. This experience was great; having the people cheer me on as I ran through the city was welcoming, being a part of a team with my friends and professors, and challenging myself by running 14km without stopping and finally crossing that finish line was exhilarating. Furthermore, I got to participate in another run; Run For Europe. This was my favorite run because I got to run a 5K while running between the borders of Briesach Am Rhein, Baden- Wurttemberg, Germany and Ile de Rhin, France with my friends was amazing! I got to run with others who support a united Europe.
After having visited: Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Greece, Vatican City, Rome, Nice, Paris, Brussels, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Basel, Grindelwald, Feldberg, and Freiburg. You learn that there is so much to see, to experience, and that life is a constant journey in which one expands their perspective of the world. I learned that there is so much more to learn, to experience, to do, and to witness. You only get one life and it's your job to live it to the fullest. Since having studied abroad I now have a greater appreciation for the world , cultures, the people that make up each country, and the country's history.
My study abroad experience has helped me grow personally, academically, and as well as professionally. Personally, I have grown to be more confident, independent, assertive, and ambitious through the IES European Union Abroad Program. I am from Oceanside, California and my university is about forty-five minutes from my hometown. I am use to having my family close by and having studied abroad in Freiburg, Germany was a learning process for me. I remember when I first arrived in Germany; at first I was nervous having to say goodbye to my mom because I have always had my support system close by. It was through this marvelous program that I was able to grow to be more confident and ambitious. In my leadership course: Leading Across Political Cultures, I learned to be ambitious and assertive through taking on leadership roles in my course; in our third leadership workshop I volunteered to be a leader in which I was required to lead a group of my fellow students to the destination of our workshop all on my own. In addition for a water conference that we had for this course, I volunteered to be one of the three moderators that had the task of coordinating, organizing, and running the water conference.
Furthermore, this Spring semester I challenged myself to try new things and to push myself to do better in my courses. This particular semester abroad was at times demanding at first but as time went on I got use to the work load. The first week of classes was the intensive phase; in which we had one week to learn the basic history of the European Union as well as an intro to German before we had a trip to Berlin and Prague. The education system for studying abroad was a bit different, in my opinion there is more independence to work on your own, in addition spending time and taking classes with the same seventy students was a nice change. I enjoyed connecting and getting to know these people My home university has five thousand seven hundred and eleven undergraduate students; it was also convenient to have all of my courses in one building, as well as a library, a lounge room, and study rooms within the same building.
In addition to having grown personally and academically, I was able to grow professionally as well. Being a Political Science major and having taken courses that focus on the American government system, I wanted to learn more about the politics of the European Union. I enjoyed getting the chance to learn about European Integration and European Foreign Security and Policy Analysis. It is one aspect to learn about the countries that are in the European Union yet it is another aspect to be able to visit these countries, to apply the knowledge that you learn and to see firsthand the important issues and their impacts that they have on these countries. I loved learning about the Copenhagen criteria, integration, enlargement, the migration crisis, the high youth unemployment in some countries, and as well as other topics about the European Union and the member states.
After having visited the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Council. I had the goal of learning more about European politics and expanding my mind on international issues and U.S. relations with Europe. I accomplished this goal this spring semester. I want to attend law school after I complete my bachelors in Political Science and become a civil rights attorney. Having acquired more knowledge about the European Union I have become more aware of the importance to stay on top of current international issues. As a political science it is vital to be versatile and aware of domestic and international politics and the impact that issues and events have on a global scale.
I am thankful and fortunate that I was able to learn about the European Union, to have visited: Czech Republic, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Nederland's, Switzerland, Belgium, and Germany and during my stay in these countries see firsthand the issues that these countries face. Studying abroad is a once in a lifetime experience and it should be encouraged for all students to do. I am forever grateful for studying abroad and I have grown immensely because of it. It is due to studying abroad in Germany that I have a greater appreciation for the world, for politics, issues that affect the U.S. don't just affect us but they have global effects as well. Moreover, the most important aspect that I took with me from studying abroad is that we are just one speck on this earth; for there is so much more out in the world than we think there is. There is so much to learn and to share with others. Freiburg will always be a place I call home and if I didn't study abroad I would not have learned more, grown more, visited countries, cities, and met wonderful people. If you would like to learn more about the politics of the European Union, visit the institutions of the European Union, then I highly recommend studying abroad with IES through their European Union Program in Freiburg, Germany.

Madrid is a diverse city that has a way of making you feel at home. It's easy to navigate and has all of the resources of a big capital city without feeling overwhelming. IES ensures a positive, fulfilling experience by providing opportunities to interact with local students, live with a host family or Spanish compañero, and take courses that will improve your understanding of the city and culture. I had courses about the History of Madrid and an art course taught in the Prado museum. Be sure to take advantage of all of the IES sponsored trips, too; the guides are incredible. Come prepared to make friends for a lifetime and discover a newfound independence.

If I had the opportunity to go to Cape Town with IES Abroad all over again, I would go in a heartbeat. Being in Cape Town was amazing! The IES Abroad staff was helpful and super friendly. Our housing was nice and close to campus. Our RA's were knowledgable about Cape Town and easy to get along with. IES even puts together optional trips, such as our mid semester break trip to Kruger National Park. In Cape Town there are a million things to do and see. The hardest part about being in Cape Town was probably trying to get everything done!!