IES Abroad Reviews

Studying abroad in the Netherlands through IES Abroad was the best choice I have made in college thus far. It honestly changed my life for the better. I wasn't sure what to expect before I left, but I came out of it with such a heightened sense of self as well as a greater awareness of others. The IES Amsterdam staff were with me every step of the way, always eager to answer questions, have discussions, and sometimes just chat with me. My program was really well organized, safe, and there were many opportunities to learn about Dutch life and culture. I don't think I could have chosen a better program for me!

The emotional outcome of any experience is completely subjective. When it's going abroad, every conceivable emotion occurs and reoccurs throughout your entire stay in a foreign land. It's overwhelming, in both a positive and yes, even negative way. Especially considering that you are not only there to travel, but for your studies as well. Me? I fell in love with Amsterdam. That's not to say I didn't have sad, angry, homesick, or stressed emotions just because I was in one of the most beautiful places in the world. It's perfectly natural to feel all those things, even while in such a magical place. For me, what rose above all the spectrum of human emotions were the moments that gave me pure elation. Elation that I may never have felt had I not gone abroad. It was a human experience I was in much need of, and I recommend it to anyone who is presented the opportunity. I continue to hold Amsterdam, and everything it had to offer, dear to me.

During the Spring 2017 semester, I participated in the IES Abroad European Union program based in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany! I really loved my experience, it was invaluable to say the least. I will look back fondly on my time in Europe and the lessons I learned for the rest of my life. I would recommend the program to any student, especially those with an interest in Political Science, International Relations, or Economics.

My living situation was very pleasant. I lived in a modern, student apartment building called Berliner Allee in a flat with 5 flatmates. There was one other IES student living there; otherwise, all of the other flatmates are German students between ages 24-27. Some IES students use this as an opportunity to practice their German, even though I didn't personally! My flat was remarkably clean because of our "putzplan," or cleaning schedule, which is quite common for German living situations. I wasn't too far away from the IES center where we took our classes; it was about a 15 minute commute if that. Though depending on which neighborhood in Freiburg you end up in, the cleanliness of your flat, the number of flatmates, and the distance from the IES center can vary quite a bit.

As far as academics are concerned, if you are looking for an easy-breezy semester abroad, I would not recommend this program. We took all of our classes at the IES EU center. Obviously like any institution, there are easier and harder teachers and professors, but the required 5-class course load means you will definitely be working throughout the week. I wouldn't say it's as hard as a lot of American colleges and universities, but it is certainly no walk in the park. Finally, since the program includes quite a bit of travel, I definitely did my fair share of work on planes and trains. As we are currently in a period where the European Union is in flux, the topic courses I took, EU and the Muslim World, EU-US Relations, and Migration, were very current and interesting.

For me, travel was far-and-away (pun intended) the best aspect of the program. I can guarantee by the end of the program, you will feel like you did not spend enough time in Freiburg. First, there are 21 days of built in travel included in the program. If you plan no additional trips, you will still get to visit 7-9 countries with your classmates. Second, the program schedule includes two "Wanderlust Weekends." These are weeks with no Friday classes to allow you to get an early start on a fun travel weekend. With mine, I went to London, England and Nice, France; both were lovely. Finally, there is a healthy-sized Spring Break to allow for further travel. In total, I visited 14 countries in Europe and North Africa throughout the semester.

One of the most important things I learned on the program is that the more you travel, the more you realize how much more there is to see. Even though I was lucky enough to see some amazing cities, there were many that I wish I had WAY more time in, and even more that I wanted to see but didn't have the time. You really get an idea of how enormous the world is on this program, which is a lesson worth learning.

I participated in the IES Abroad Rome - Language & Area Studies program during the Spring of 2017. I lived in an apartment, took classes in economics, art history, political science and Italian and immensely enjoyed traveling through Europe and exploring the city of Rome! I took Intensive Italian, which really enhanced by language skills and enabled me to be conversational in Italian by the end of the term. The IES Program instructors are engaging and passionate. I also traveled extensively during my time abroad—I went to 22 European cities and 14 countries! IES allows for a Monday - Thursday class schedule, with Fridays off - this structure is fantastic since it provides an extra day for travel or exploration of Rome. I cannot emphasize enough how amazing of an experience this spring was for me. My classes and professors were incredible, living as a Roman was truly like living a fairytale, and being immersed in the Italian culture day in and day out was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. I would do it again and again if I could!

I studied abroad in Berlin, Germany the Spring Semester of 2017. I had an amazing time. IES Abroad really did a great job of integrating me into the city. We learned about the culture of the city through a comprehensive orientation. The program introduced us to Berlin locals, further integrating us into the city. As a student I got to partake in European Union panels, an experience I would have otherwise not had without IES. The classes weren't that difficult, but furthered our appreciation of the city with many field trips. It was very involved.

I had the most amazing time in Cape Town. I honestly cannot think of one thing I would change. IES did an amazing job of planning activities for us while also giving us enough free time to explore on our own. The academics in Cape Town are pretty different from in the states, but the program did a really good job of helping us prepare for that. We lived in an awesome location, right at the bottom of campus. Because it was a small program this year, we all lived on the same property which allowed all the IES students to get really close. Our RAs were amazing too. They were really supportive when needed, and were really helpful with respect to helping us get acclimated to the city. I am obsessed with Cape Town, as it had everything I wanted in an abroad experience. I was the only person from my home university going, which allowed me to really branch out. It's a large city, but I was still able to do a lot of things outdoors. I spent a lot of time hiking, which is one of my favorite activities. The people in Cape Town are amazing, and I met so many amazing South Africans that I am still in contact with. While there are challenging aspects of going abroad anywhere, I think the challenges I faced in Cape Town (like being faced with the realization of how much privilege I have) really stretched me in positive ways. Going to Cape Town was the best decision I have ever made.

I had an incredible experience with the IES EU Program. My professors were engaging and personable. They encouraged us to have thoughtful discussions and tailored lessons based on our interests. Classes rarely seemed boring or dull. By far the best part of the program was being able to attend meetings on the various trips that we took. This program is so unique in that it takes students to so many countries with no additional cost. My favorite meetings were visiting the Russian embassy in Berlin and meeting with the MEP of the political party Jobbik in Budapest. Our trips were structured well so that we had lots of free time to explore on our own, as well. Freiburg is picturesque and fun in itself. On the weekends we would take quick train into the black forest and go hiking or skiing. There is so much to do, see, and explore. I had a phenomenal time abroad!

Looking back as I sit in my spanish seminar class there at Whitman College, I am constantly reminded of the incredible semester I just had. IES abroad Granada was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever. I had an unforgettable 4 months, met fascinating people from Spain and on my program, really enhanced my spanish through my homestay family, orientadores on the program and taking classes in only spanish. The IES Granada program was very organized, with incredible teachers, student leaders and director. I was able to explore Europe on the weekends if I wanted to, but I loved staying in Granada and exploring what the city has to offer. The program offered trips (Sevilla, Córdoba, Rhonda, even Morocco). I was so fortunate to go on all of the program trips, and will remember them always. I still have flashbacks to specific moments I had abroad, and am already to go back to my beautiful new second home.

The Writer's Program was a fantastic experience for me. I learned a lot from everyone at the IES Center (special shout-out to Stephen, the writer's program coordinator) and felt I had a lot of opportunities to explore Ireland. Dublin is a great city if you study writing or English; lots of literature has come from Dublin, and there are lots of good resources to learn more about Irish literature (the Writer's Museum, the Yeats Exhibition at the Library, etc.). We read a lot of Irish writers for homework. IES planned a lot of great cultural events and field trips. As a spur of the moment trip we attend a Moth Story Telling Slam twice as well as a Martin McDonagh play at the Gaitey Theatre. Our professor also took us to see Moonlight, which was awarded the Oscar while I was abroad. There's lots to do and explore in Dublin (more than the Guinness Storehouse, I assure you), and while eating out is expensive, Dublin is fairly student-friendly. Ireland is also an amazing country; I loved the hikes and the coast line. If you plan on flying out to Europe every weekend, which many students do, the Dublin Airport is easy to access and Ryanair and Aer Lingus will be your friends. I would definitely recommend this program.

IES has a great set up in Buenos Aires and a very well located center and convenient homestays. the staff are very supportive and helpful and one of the best parts of the program. The course listing on the IES Abroad website did not match the actual course offerings, and there weren't many available courses, but generally not very many students do this program so it doesn't make sense to have a ton of courses. I heard the mismatch of offerings is the fault of chicago not buenos aires.