IES Abroad Reviews

Paris, c'est magnifique! Everything is magical, from the language, to the food, to the museums and monuments. I was able to take classes in French, reading the texts of my major in their original language. The people and places I had been studying since high school were standing before my eyes. I could walk the streets of Napoleon, or eat at the cafés of Manet. For everyone who is hesitating to go abroad, I urge you to take a leap of faith and discover a completely new world. Things may not be easy (in fact, sometimes they can be downright hard), but that is when I grew the most. Feeling uncomfortable because my host mother didn't know any English, I pushed myself to become better at French so we could communicate more readily. Separated from all of my friends at home, I made new friendships that are going to last me a lifetime. I ate foods I had never dreamed of and saw art I had only read of. My experiences have made me more confident and sure of myself. I am now more spontaneous, and I worry a lot less about the small things that don't matter. I have always been a small town girl, but now I know that I can live and thrive in a big city, especially if it has the culture that Paris does.
My program really helped me make the most of my Paris adventure. IES Paris French Studies introduced me to aspects of the culture that I had never considered, and helped me to foresee cultural problems that could have arisen. They have an excellent range of classes that allowed me to get credit in my major, as well as exploring areas that I wouldn't have been able to do at home, such as the history of Parisian museums, or the history of French photography. Through the program, I was also able to visit places within and around Paris, such as Monet's gardens at Giverny and da Vinci's house in the Loire Valley.
Some advice that I might give future students would be to be ready to be uncomfortable. Studying in a foreign country is going to give you experiences that you would never think to encounter in the US. And while those can be hard to get through at the time, they can give you new insights that you never would have thought to gain, or ways to deal with trying situations when you return home. Be open to new opinions and new ways of doing things; if you are so closed to new experiences that you can't discover the value in a new method, your experience is going to be limited.
Once you get to Paris, you will be bombarded with amazing opportunities. Some of my favorites were wandering through Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, and having a picnic along the Seine as the tourist boats go by. Hit the main tourist sites, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but also go to some of the smaller museums, like Musée Marmottan Monet. See the general things, but find your own little corner of Paris, with a go-to café and your favorite outdoor market. And above all, wring all you can out of each day; once you return home, you will miss it so much that it hurts to think about even one day not spent exploring the wonders of Paris.

My experience in Buenos Aires was truly unforgettable. That is a cliche thing to say, I know, as it is said by virtually each and every student who studies abroad. But I truly believe that my time not only in Buenos Aires, but specifically with IES was a special one to say the least. Buenos Aires is a magical city. You have the South American culture, yet in a very European-like, metropolitan city. The Spanish is so beautiful, yet the people are even more so - in their looks and in their actions. They are kind, welcoming, encouraging, and respectful, and they make you want to experience their hometown like they have. I had this experience both with random locals I met, with my host family, and with the people who worked with IES. IES truly could not have made me feel more at home in a city so far and so different from my actual home than they did. The opportunities for community they provided, their services and encouragement they continuously offered, and the ways in which they challenged me to do my best and to make the most out of my experience was second to none, and was with out a doubt one of, if not the, greatest factor in making my time abroad so spectacular. If i could do it again, I would. A thousand times over.

My time in Milan with IES was the best four months of my life. It all started with great organization and dedication from the IES staff in Milan. Their main concern was ensuring that everyone had an unforgettable time and their safety. If any problems arose, the staff was ready to address it immediately. My apartment and living situation was great. I was preparing myself for the worst, but it was a large, modern apartment right in the heart of Milan. The selection of classes allowed me to learn about things that I would have not otherwise had the chance to back at my home school. I did not know any Italian before I arrived, but the program required us to take Italian and for that I am grateful. It was a tremendous help at restaurants, asking for directions, and talking to my coworkers at the internship IES organized for me. Many students are drawn to Italy when thinking about where to study abroad because of the food, culture, history, fashion, and climate. However, most choose to study further south in Florence or Rome, but I think Milan is the perfect place. It is a city similar to the other ones in Western Europe and the United States and because of that it is easier to get acclimated. It is also very easy to travel to the rest of Italy in the south and the rest of continental Europe to the north. There is always something to do in Milan, day and night, with green parks, amazing restaurants, and countless bars, pubs, and clubs.
I have nothing but positive things to say about Milan and Italy as a whole. My favorite part would have to be the overall way of life in Milan. It is the financial capital of Italy, so it was very pro-business and at times felt like Philadelphia or New York, but they also had characteristics from the way of life in Southern Italy. While everyone was working hard, they always made time to relax and appreciate the beauty of life in everything from art to fashion and food.
The thing that separated my experience from others in my program was that I opted to partake in an internship as three of my credits. I worked at a consumer packaged goods start-up called Banale. I did everything from marketing, order fulfillment, website design and even new product development. They are currently building a prototype based on my recommendations. Not many people can say they have international work experience before graduating college, and even fewer can point to a product on the market and say that, "I designed that and now people are buying it."
My typical day in the life of my program was a bit different because three days a week I went to work for about five hours per day. In the mornings we would take the Metro to class, and it worked perfectly. There wasn't one time I wished I had a car because the metro ran so smoothly, as well as trams and buses. Midday there would be a break for lunch where students would go home to cook or to nearby cafes and restaurants. Students might return for afternoon classes, depending on their schedules. We would then go home and get ready for the night. We would either cook dinner, go out to a full restaurant, or just go out for "aperitivo" which is appetizers and cocktails. Then each night there was a different club running promotions for international students. Some nights we went to local pubs to watch "calcio" or soccer matches from across Europe.
In my free time it was fun to just explore the city, going to the different districts and seeing what they had to offer. My favorite was Navigli, or the canal district, because of the cafes for aperitivo. It was also fun to go shopping in the fashion capital of the world, even if a lot of the items were very pricey. On sunny days it was nice to hangout in local parks after classes were over. I even made it to a few soccer matches at the famous San Siro stadium, home to both Inter and AC Milan. Again, the nightlife was incredible and each club offered a little something different.
We had the option to stay in an apartment, a homestay with a local family, or a dorm room at a nearby university, but I chose the apartment. I stayed in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with four other American students and one local Italian student. We stayed in a very modern apartment that was very spacious. It was in a very safe neighborhood, so that was never a concern. It was actually in one of the wealthier neighborhoods of Milan. The best part was, as they say, the location, location, location. I was only a 5-10 minute walk from the Duomo, which is the heart of the city.
When I first chose Milan, everybody always asked me, "Why Milan?" and my answer was because it was the financial capital of Italy and the fashion capital of the world. I discovered the Milan is so much more than that and I cannot imagine getting to call any other place home for five months. Part of me will always be there, and that's thanks to the amazing staff at IES that run this program.

While enrolled in this program I enjoyed my abroad experience a lot. I enjoyed this program specifically because it allowed me to get a feel for what it feels like to truly live in Spain because the program supervision was not overbearing, but there were enough activities that allowed me to feel a great sense of community. My only critique for the program was that students were rarely allowed to live outside of IES housing, which (in my opinion) did not provide the best option for cultural immersion. Overall, this is a great program for students to have low-academic rigor in order to fully enjoy their abroad experience.

I loved Vienna! It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve been in. Vienna offers you everything a big city has with a small-town vibe. There was something happening almost every night whether it be an opera, a jazz bar showcase, or a ball. The music program was amazing. All the music staff I interacted with were performing in Vienna. It was great to get their first-hand experience and connections to concerts. A professor connected me with a local choir that I got to sing and perform with during my semester in Vienna. I love Vienna, I already want to go back. Whenever someone tells me they are studying abroad I tell them they have to go to Vienna, at least visit it. The culture surrounds you everywhere and the people are so nice. I did a teaching internship when I was there and it was great to get out into the city and meet even more people. IES Vienna is just a great place, with amazing faculty and staff, and I’m so happy I went. I made a lot of new friends and just loved my time there, I can’t wait to go back!

It's hard to have any boring experiences when traveling in New Zealand. That being said, IES Abroad made my adventure so much more worthwhile. They truly made every single experience I had full of cultural learning and meaning, and that has made all the difference. I truly felt like I was a part of the culture around me, not like I was paying someone to perform their culture for me, an that was extremely important to me. IES took us to the Cook Islands, which is where I truly felt this way; that I was participating and learning rather than being a vacationing tourist. I believe that the unique connections IES has within these international communities is what made these experiences possible and significant.

I can honestly say I was so happy to choose Dublin. Not only was I surrounded by great people, but an amazing culture as well. It is the perfect size of a city to live and take classes in. It was also very accessible to the airport so I was able to travel a ton too! Abroad is definitely what you make of it but I am so happy I chose Dublin as my city. I experience amazing food, music, conversations and friendships.

IES Granada was a phenomenal experience. The city of Granada is so culturally diverse and has such a rich history that I was never bored and happened on a new experience almost every single day. I enjoyed immersing myself in the culture through a homestay, and eating out with friends in the evenings. The IES program provided a wealth of opportunities for travel and learning, which I was happy to take advantage of! I recommend this program to anyone looking to study in an incredible city with amazing people.

IES Abroad Madrid was AMAZING! I learned so much while I was in Madrid and wouldn't trade that experience for anything. Because Madrid is so centralized, I was able to travel to a plethora of cities within Spain and experience other countries outside of Spain as well. There is a wide variety of classes offered and lots of activities to participate in with the university. Plus, my homestay experience was incredible - I still talk to my host mom a couple of times each month!

This program at IES abroad offers a wide array of amazing opportunities that are life changing. We went on a huge adventure trip to China's most southern province and experienced picturesque scenes of beauty and got to know the ethnic diversity that is present in the area. In Beijing, we had many great opportunities to see places like the Summer Palace, the Lama Temple, the Forbidden city, and many other historical sites as class excursions/field trips. The teachers are highly capable and are wonderful people who are much more than just a professor. The school was at a great location with many fun things to do in close proximity and amazing restaurants close by. This program offers you the opportunity to make life long friends, make great connections that will help you in the future, and most important of all, learn Chinese to the best of your ability.