IES Abroad Reviews

The time I spent abroad on my IES Freiburg trip was the best time of my life. I ended up on the program in Germany partially by accident; I had wanted to go to France but happened to find the IES program, and because it focused in environmental studies - my area of focus - I decided to just go for it! And I couldn't have made a better choice. The classes were amazing: my program had a really unusual course schedule, where students would focus on one class for weeks at a time, instead of taking several classes at once. This structure allowed me to really delve deep into the subjects we were learning about, and it allowed me to have a lot of time to learn outside the classroom as well.

IES did an amazing job of scheduling trips and excursions for my program to go on, especially hiking trips. We were situated in the Black Forest region of Freiburg, and there were a ton of program-led trips to hike into the forest during the course of my semester. Our program also took us hiking in the Vosges mountains of France, and we event took a class trip to the Swiss Alps, where we got to study the forestry and management practices of scientists within Switzerland! Of course, not all of our trips were focused on hiking. We had multiple class excursions to France to see the Christmas markets in the winter before we left, and we also were given the chance to take tours of our city and learn more about its history and culture. The trips I went on with my program were awesome, and I don’t think I will forget a single one!

I was also extremely pleased with my housing situation. IES had us fill out a housing survey before we were assigned our flats to match our personalities with other students and the different neighborhoods of Freiburg (which each have their own character), and I was placed perfectly! I lived in the Vauban neighborhood and loved the quirky but homey feel of the place. My flatmates were all really inviting and helped me get comfortable living in Freiburg, and were always willing to help me practice my German! I still keep in touch with them after having come back to the States - I really clicked well with them, and I think I made lifelong friends.

Finally, the people running my IES program were some of the most amazing and helpful people I’ve ever had the opportunity to interact with. My program director, Katie, made herself available 24/7 to help us adjust to life in Freiburg. She was there to give us tips on where to eat, which clubs to go to, and she even helped me buy a cell phone when I first got there! She really made an effort to get to know us all and listen to our suggestions for programming and events, and that made my experience 100 times better. And though I didn’t get to see the rest of the IES staff as much, the interactions I had with them were all super helpful and helped me have an incredible time in my city!

Overall, I cannot express enough the gratitude I have towards IES for creating such an amazing experience for me abroad. I made lasting friends, had incredible experiences, and learned lessons - both inside the classroom and out - that I will never forget.

I studied abroad in Barcelona for the fall semester of 2016. Unlike a lot of programs that offer a select number of classes, IES Barcelona Liberal Arts & Business offers an endless list of courses to fit the interests and major requirements of every student. Through this program, I was able to intern part-time for a local apartment rental company, an experience that connected me to the city in a really special way, along with broadening my professional network across seas. Because the program invites so many students to participate, the student body in this program is very large and therefore chooses students of varying schools, backgrounds and fields of study. In Barcelona, you never run out of things to do. I wrote a “Barcelona Bucket List” that I got about 20% of the way through, which only gives me an excuse to return in the near future! The location of Barcelona in relation to the rest of Europe is ideal, as it takes less than 2 hours by plane to get to all the main European destinations, and the flights are often extremely inexpensive. And since there are no classes on Fridays, you have 3 out of the 7 days of the week to travel! Regardless of where I traveled on the weekends, I was always so excited to return to my favorite city for the start of a new week. IES Barcelona Liberal Arts & Business has all the aspects of a study abroad program that I was looking for, and I know countless other students who feel the same way!

Studying abroad in Paris with the IES BIA program for my fall semester was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my life. Living in Paris, practicing my french with my host family, traveling around the country and the continent, and meeting new people from all over the country and world were just a few of my favorite experiences. The classes I took at the center were all incredibly interesting and taught by wonderful professors who took the chance to get to know each student. The staff was amazing - planning trips around Paris and France to allow us to take full advantage of our time abroad. Examples of trips include an overnight stay in Normandy, a class trip to Strasbourg to see the building where the European Union meets, a trip to the Champagne region, and many more. The center also put on many events in Paris such as wine and cheese tasting, cultural discussions, and much more.

I will never forget the amazing experiences I had while studying abroad and would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone looking to have a fabulous time abroad!

I spent my fall semester studying abroad in Amsterdam, Netherlands with IES. Prior to this experience, I had traveled several times with my family, but never alone. I was terrified of being somewhere completely new, not knowing anyone and having the worst navigational skills imaginable. Regardless, I went into the experience with an open mind and about seven GPS apps on my phone. It took me a little while to get adjusted, but my program ensured that we were as prepared as possible. The moment I got my bike, I felt completely in control. I could go wherever I wanted, and I was able to explore the city in the most unique and optimal way. Everyone I met in Amsterdam was absolutely incredible, and I’m still in contact with so many of the friends I made at IES. Getting pushed out of your comfort zone is truly the only way to grow and develop. There were times when I felt uncertain and hesitant, but these were the moments in which I learned the most about myself. I valued every single aspect of my abroad experience, and I could not recommend it more to anyone curious about exploring the world and themselves. Amsterdam is my second home, and I miss it every day. Sure, the touristy components were great, but nothing replaces the feeling of finding an obscure little cafe in the nook of a canal road. Biking around the city and listening to my favorite songs is a feeling that I couldn’t describe, even if I tried. My time abroad was liberating, eye-opening, and indispensable.

I studied abroad in the wonderful Santiago, Chile for a full fall semester. One of the immediate differences you will notice are the seasons- they’re reversed from the northern hemisphere! That being said, my host mom paid extra attention when I first moved in to make sure I was warm enough at night and ate plenty of fruits so that I wouldn’t get sick from the sudden change in climate. And this was just one example of how cared for I felt in Santiago. The IES staff in Santiago also made me feel very cared for and looked after during my time there. From orientation where you learn everything from how to use public transportation to how to use Chilean slang, the IES staff members are there every step of the way to help you acclimate to the new culture and help you meet any unexpected challenges. Academically, I participated in the health studies program where I attended a class called “Spanish for Health Care Professionals” and observed health care professionals in a hospital setting. In class, we spent four months learning how to talk to people about nutrition, pain, and insurance as well as study vocabulary for different items that are found in a health care setting. During my four months, I never traveled outside of Chile, but I did travel to the northern region to see the driest desert in the world, the Atacama Desert, and get to backpack for 6 days in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine.

I have absolutely no complaints about this program. The city itself is a truly magical place to be, it's the perfect mix of a college and residential town with stunning architecture. There are tons of places to eat, museums to visit, and seats to people watch. As far as academics I recommend taking classes at the University of Salamanca in addition to IES courses. This is a better way to get a feel for the true Spanish student culture. I lived with a host family and spent a lot of time with them during meals and free time. I still keep in touch with them, as well as foreign friends I have made almost every day!

Choosing the IES European Union Program was the best decision that I have ever made. Because the program included travel, I was able to visit 9 different countries across Europe at no extra cost, including places like Bucharest and Budapest. Cities that I would never really think of visiting on my own. More than that, studying abroad gave me a sense of independence and confidence that I would never have been able to achieve otherwise. Having to figure out how to navigate so new places forced me to rely more on myself and pushed me out of my comfort zone. However, I still had support and help from the IES center staff when I needed it. They did a perfect job of making us feel at home and cared for, while also giving us space to challenge ourselves. While there was not as much cultural immersion as I expected (it was difficult given all the travel and being a program full of Americans), I would not change anything because I had so many great experiences and met so many great people in my program that I still talk to today.

After dreaming of studying in Paris (since the eighth grade) I finally had the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Paris, France in 2016. Outside of taking classes and improving my French language skills I was able to immerse myself in French culture and see/eat my way through Paris. As a French major taking classes that were conducted solely in French challenged me to use the foundation of my home university while expanding my knowledge that only the study abroad experience can provide. I was also fortunate enough to take ballet classes at the Paris Marais Dance School.

For housing, I lived with a host family in a suburb just outside of Paris. It took about 40 minutes for me to commute to school everyday which seems like a drawback but it forced me to stay out and explore the different arrondissements before going home at the end of the day. My host family was so welcoming and understanding that the initial culture shock could be a challenge but within two weeks I felt like part of the family and we still keep in touch!

Outside the classroom Paris is full of adventure. From visiting the main attractions (the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Coeur) and eating macaroons, escargot, and crêpes it was finding where the locals hung out that made my time in Paris more than a tourist vacation. Be it eating in a student cafeteria that is a boat on the Seine or visiting Rex (a movie theater by day and club by night) once you feel more comfortable with the city all that's left to do is take it by storm.

Overall, my experience was indescribable! The friends, memories, and connections I made will last a lifetime. I can't wait to go back!!

I'd never realized my eyes were closed until I opened them to the world of study abroad, in Milan. With the support of the wonderful IES staff, I embarked on an incredible adventure, l'esperienza di una vita ("experience of a lifetime"). There were three housing options, but I chose to live in an Italian dorm. In this way, I soon became a part of two unique and welcoming communities, that of my dorm and that of IES. I could practice Italian every day with the new friends I made, learn about life at other Italian universities, and learn about Italian cultural differences from people of different regions. At IES, I had my formal academic classes and heard about all the events, activities, and hidden gems of Milan that we should discover. Of these, for example, I attended a concert at the famous Teatro alla Scala (free tickets from IES!), visited museums on the first Sunday of every month (free in Milan!), and attended the wildly popular Artigiano in Fiera, a massive market with goods from around the world. Milan has so much to offer, and it is truly an amazing city where it's easy to explore via metro, on foot, or even on bike! I recommend taking advantage of all opportunities available- whether that be hopping on a train from Milano Centrale to Torino for a day, practicing Italian with one of the IES Italian community assistants, or taking a stroll around the city and finding a Roman ruin. I felt I learned more in a semester than I had in a lifetime, simply by absorbing these new things around me. I highly recommend studying in Milan; with IES as your guide, you too can discover la bellezza ("beauty") di Milano, just open your eyes and take it all in...

Deciding to study abroad was one of the hardest decisions to make. I'm so glad I did it though. One of the best things I loved was that the IES Center was in the heart of London and my dorm room was right next to platform 9 3/4! I think that is what made it an even better experience. I was able to walk to big ben and trafalgar square in between classes. I was taking communication courses at the school and thought they were not super difficult which was great because I could focus more on traveling and less on stress! One thing I learned from this trip was that there is so much beauty out there, and I learned so much about myself. I learned how to travel and go unplugged from the internet and still find happiness. I didn't even care about my phone at that point. It was a twenty minute walk from my dorm to class everyday, and I loved it. Most students took the double decker bus, but I walked. I put headphones in and would walk miles everyday. I did this because I knew I wouldn't remember the bus seats, but I would remember all the great things on the streets I would see. Overall, I was very very pleased with IES. I even went on five field trips.... including going inside 10 Downing Street!