IES Abroad Reviews

Classes:

My IES classes were generally good and not too hard, but they required time-management. I found that there was a fair amount of “busy” work and a few too many tests and papers, but my classes in Freiburg were still easier than the classes I take at my home university.

IES does not allow laptops in class, so if you (like me) like to have your readings in class for reference, you’ll have to print everything. Instead of wasting paper, I ended up taking a lot of reading notes—tedious, but I eventually got used to it.

Overall, I learned a fair amount in my classes and enjoyed them, but I wouldn’t say that they were the highlight of my semester.

Travel:

I visited 9 cities with IES, and had a great time on all of my trips. On most days, we had lectures in the morning (sometimes long and boring, but usually informative) and free time in the afternoon/evening.

If you want to make the most of your free time, you definitely need to do some research in advance. I spent a lot of time on my trips trying to figure out what to do/where to go, so I wish I had taken the time to do some advance planning.

Because I traveled so much with IES, I didn’t end up traveling too much on my own. Once I got back from my IES trips, I was pretty exhausted and preferred to spend my weekends in Freiburg. I also took some day trips around Germany, France and Switzerland (yes, you can go to France or Switzerland for brunch if you want to).

Freiburg:

I absolutely loved Freiburg. It is a university town, so there are tons of young people around and lots of student-friendly places to eat/shop/hang out.

I lived in a flat with 5 other students in a building called Berliner Allee. The flat had 6 single rooms, 2 bathrooms and a shared kitchen. Every student had an assigned bathroom along with assigned kitchen shelves and space in the refrigerators. I was also entered into the flat “putzplan,” or cleaning plan, which rotates weekly.

My building was very well-located. I had 2 grocery stores, a bank, a coffee-shop, a pharmacy and a beautiful park within walking distance, and I was only about a 10 minute tram ride from downtown Freiburg. My building was also very close to another student housing complex.

Due to the German semester system, students in Freiburg tend to move in and out of apartments frequently. When I first moved into my flat, I had 2 flat-mates from Germany, one from Romania, one from France and one from Lithuania. Some of these flat-mates moved out within a few months and their rooms turned over, but I was lucky and ended up liking everyone I lived with.

Learning German:

Before arriving in Freiburg, I did not speak a word of German. This made my transition fairly challenging—I couldn’t read a menu, understand labels in the grocery store or pharmacy or ask basic questions in a store. My German class at IES taught me a fair amount (enough to understand the basics), but I didn’t become as comfortable with the language as I would have liked. German is not the focus of the EU program, and you can get around Freiburg with English. Expect to learn something, but you won’t be fluent in German by the end of the semester.

Meeting German Students:

I met a fair number of German students (flat-mates and others), and became quite close to them. In fact, I had closer connections to Germans than most of my friends from IES because I was more inclined to get out of the “American IES bubble.”

My German friends were wonderful, and they invited me to lots of different events. I went to a German acoustic-punk concert at a local bar—definitely not an event I would have found on my own—and to many dinners and picnics. My German friends enjoyed practicing their English with me, and they helped me a lot with my German. One friend helped me study for my German oral exam and my German flat-mates loved to answer my homework questions.

It is very easy to stick to other Americans in Freiburg, but it is worth it to make an effort to meet Germans. Flat-mates are a great place to start!

Would I Choose the IES EU Program Again?

Definitely!

I could talk endlessly about this program. I had a fantastic time, and could not have been happier with my choice to study abroad in Nantes, France. Nantes is a beautiful city that is the perfect size for a semester. It is large enough to have everything you could need - shopping, movies, nightlife, and spectacular restaurants and boulangeries - while still feeling manageable. I was able to easily navigate the city within a couple of weeks, and it truly felt like home by the time I left. People speak very little English in Nantes, which forces you to grow quickly with French language skills. Also, everyone in the program lived in a homestay, which is definitely a highlight of the program. I got to improve my French while learning about French culture from French people. Some programs have an optional homestay option, but I'm glad everyone participated so none of us had FOMO about living in an apartment or missing out on the homestay.

The IES Abroad Center is terrific. The entire staff is French, and courses are small and adaptable to the students. They were always helpful and understanding of everyone's needs. We also got to go on 4 weekend trips which were all magnificent. France is a great country to stay in because each region is very unique and has something different to offer. All of the classes were taught in French with French professors, and you could also choose to take classes at the local French university. The classes were interesting and focused on a lot on learning about French culture.

I love Nantes and still am raving about my time abroad to friends and family. If you want a real, cultural experience of a European city, and want to improve your French, you won't regret choosing this program!

Where can I begin? The other reviewers have said it many times over: I had one of the greatest experiences of my life in Granada, Spain. It's a city that will surely touch your heart in some way or another, while showing you a great time everyday and night of the week. Four months in this place incredibly, and quickly, began to feel like only a few short minutes. The people, the accent, the history, the sunsets, the food (oh, and free tapas); I loved it all. We had opportunities to travel all around Andalusia with our program during this time, and amazing as they were, I always found myself itching at this feeling that I needed to be back in Granada - nuestra hogar, mi hogar. There is simply nowhere that compares.
The IES Abroad Granada Program Director, Javier, was without a doubt, is exactly the right guy for this job (and frankly, any other job in the world because well, he's amazing). He and the other IES staff will welcome you in with open, Spanish arms and help guide you along your adventure in Granada like a good friend might do. I can name multiple occasions where i've endured some of the most ab-wrenching, tear-inducing laughs ever with Javier. Being in this position for so many years, he not only knows what he's doing, but he also has some flat out hilarious stories to recount about past programs and mishaps.
Some more note-worthy cositas about Granada and the program:
- FREE Tapas (did I already say that? Yeah, free. tapas.); with purchase of a drink in any Grandadino spot.
- Hiking the Sierra Nevadas; hop on a bus from the city center and be at a trailhead in under 1 hour.
- Skiing the Sierra Nevadas; again, just hop on a bus.
- Veg Options in Abundance; if you're a vegetarian or vegan (which I am), you will be happy to find out that there are multiple restaurants and shops in Granada that are entirely vegan... and delicious. I lived one block away from an adorable vegan cafe/restaurant where I became a loyal regular.
- Young People; with about 80,000 students at the University of Granada, there are young Spaniards, expats, and exchange students all over the city.
- Wide Course and Activity Options; since the IES Abroad Center in Granada is partnered with the University of Granada, you have the option to participate in classes and activities there as well.

Where to begin?! I was lucky enough to study abroad as a Directly Enrolled student at Trinity College Dublin through IES. I was in the amazing city of Dublin from early January until late May, and I can confidently say that it has been the greatest experience of my life thus far.
Because I was directly enrolled at Trinity College, IES was less involved in my day to day life. They organized my housing, and coordinated my enrollment with Trinity, meaning that I just had to show up! IES met me at the airport, and had an RA waiting at my apartment to meet me when I arrived. Though our housing had some hiccups (heating and plumbing issues) IES was VERY responsive in getting things sorted. These issues were beyond anyone's control, but the Director and staff were very helpful, and apologetic for any inconveniences.

In terms of academics, IES explained how we would register for classes, and offered support throughout the semester. As I said, because we were directly enrolled, IES played a smaller part here. Trinity itself was a bit tricky, and takes a bit of getting used to, but overall it was an incredible experience. You are in courses (modules) with Irish students, and you are learning from Irish professors, so the atmosphere is amazing.

Though our classes were not through IES, we were ALWAYS welcome to study in the IES Center, to print from their computers, or to just drop by for a chat. They planned trips for us, and had coffee meet ups during the semester to make sure everyone was settling in ok.

If I could go back and do it again, I would in a heartbeat. Dublin happens to be the hub for most RyanAir flights, meaning that cheap flights were super accessible (and encouraged!). I made friends that will last me a lifetime, and I strongly suggest that you spend your semester abroad in Dublin.

I'll never forget my last night in Granada… I bid a bittersweet farewell to some of the Spanish friends I had made during the semester. I knew that our kiss goodbye, left cheek then right, was more of an, “hasta la vista,” than an, “adios.” I slipped out of the cafe trying to hide the tears filling the corners of my eyes, but one splashed onto the black and white tiles of the sidewalk, drenched in the warm afternoon sun. Passing through the streets, scents of exotic spices and teas scented the fresh mountain air. I needed to collect as many sights, sounds, and moments as I could to last me the indefinite future.

Flamenco fans and whole legs of jamón ibérico dangled from shop windows as I passed through the city center. Pictures of celebrities, American presidents, and other famous clients smiled at me from the walls of the famous “Los Italianos,” tempting me to grab one last scoop of gelato on my way. I resisted, but barely. My favorite activity was to count how many pomegranates I could find along my walks. Granada means pomegranate in Spanish and they’re everywhere: on door knockers, bollards, flower pots, and street signs, just waiting to be discovered.

I met up with my American friends in Plaza Nueva, just outside the IES Granada center, and we started up the hillside. We wove our way through the narrow, winding streets of the Albayzín, the old medieval quarter of town. No matter how many times I got lost in the maze of white walls and red rooves, I always managed to come around a corner and find ten new paths to be explored. We hiked up and up, passing through and out of the city. The sudden transition between Granada and the surrounding forests, hills and mountains never failed to take me by surprise.

We were now on a dirt path ascending Sacromonte, “the holy mountain.” Our final destination was in our sights: the ancient muralla. This old wall was part of the fortifications built hundreds of years ago to protect the city. Despite its age, it still stands strong, though cracks betray it every few meters. By the time I caught up, two of the boys had already used these cracks to scale the side and were busy helping the rest of us up. We walked up its length, pretending it was just a wide balance beam. Finally, we settled on a good section, pulled out the bottle of red wine we had brought, and sat down to watch the sun set.

As the sun disappeared over the mountains, it lit up the city. Granada sat like a glittering jewel before us. It wasn’t hard to imagine why the Catholic rulers Isabel and Ferdinand coveted it so much during the Inquisition. The Alhambra glowed warmly. You could almost see the Moorish kings looking out of their throne rooms over their kingdom. It baffled me when I first arrived that 2.4 million people visit every year just to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site. After many class field trips to the palace, I could not believe it wasn’t more! An Ernest Hemingway quote came to my mind: “How lazily the sun goes down in Granada, it hides beneath the water, it conceals in the Alhambra.”

As dusk became twilight, we swung our legs over the other side other wall and watched the full moon appear over the Sierra Nevadas. Despite it being late May, snow still clung to the sides of the highest peaks on the Iberian Peninsula, giving weight to their etymology (in Spanish, literally “snowy saw”). The big, yellow disc rose higher and higher in the sky, signaling it was time leave.
We climbed down the backside in the moonlight and wove our way down the valley, passing by wood smoke wafting out of the chimneys of the cave houses. We finally stopped in one of these caves owned by an old gypsy man. These original inhabitants of the caves pioneered the art form of flamenco, filling their music and dance with their souls. He brought us “Alhambra” brand beers from the bar and we watched tourists spill into caves while the sound of tapping shoes and guitars spilled out.

My boyfriend walked me home. We were back in the center of town now. The last month workers had been setting up for the city’s fería, or festival. Every Spanish town has one. For Granada, think less of Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls and more dancing in the streets in traditional flamenco dresses. I had forgotten our last night was the first day of the festival. My boyfriend was catching a 3AM bus to the airport so we walked around the streets to pass the time until his departure (3AM is not that late at night on Spanish time…). We were walking through Plaza Bib Rambla when it struck midnight and suddenly all the festival lights that were strung throughout the city turned on. The opening ceremony played on a TV in a restaurant and the sound of Granada’s anthem filled the air.

It was a magical moment and one that made the reality of leaving hit me suddenly. I walked into my apartment and cried on my host mother’s shoulder, telling her how much I was going to miss it all: my friends, my family, my amazing professors and the IES staff, the food, the history, the place I had grown to call home. I left the next morning for a five-week tour around Europe. I couldn’t complain, but at the same time, I knew I had left a little pomegranate shaped piece of my heart in Granada.

Overall, my time in Paris with IES was a great experience. The IES Center is in a great location on Rue Daguerre, which is a really cool market street. There were always plenty of options for lunch - especially bakeries with traditional French sandwiches and pastries. As far as classes go, the professors were all very nice and willing to talk to us about differences between France and the United States. One of my favorite classes was “Paris Museums” because we spent time in class learning about French art history and then on some evenings during the week, we went to museums to see the actual artwork that we learned about in class. It was so helpful to go through these museums with a professor that could actually tell you about what you were looking at. I probably would not have visited all of the museums we went to on my own, so the class was a great way to see more of Paris. Taking classes solely in French and having to write papers and give presentations in French was also a great way to improve my French and really feel fluent in the language.

I also had an internship while I was in Paris, which is one of the best things I did. I worked there 2 afternoons per week after my classes and all day on Friday (there are no classes at IES on Friday). It was great to get to work with French people and learn about the differences between business culture in America and France. They kept me busy with a variety of tasks including translating documents, designing the newsletter, and posting things on their website and Facebook page. This was such great work experience for the future as well!

My homestay was also a pretty good experience overall. The apartment was in a very nice neighborhood in the 16th arr. and was located very close to two different metro lines, which made getting around the city very convenient. My metro ride to my classes everyday had an above-ground portion that went right by the Eiffel Tower! My host mom was a really good cook and was very nice. However, I was a little disappointed with my homestay overall because I had put on my homestay application that I would prefer to be treated like “family” as opposed to like a “guest.” Although I felt comfortable in the apartment, I never really felt like family and, apart from the required 3 dinners per week, I didn’t feel like my host mom really made much of an effort to show me and my housemate around our neighborhood or Paris at all. But overall, I felt safe and comfortable in my homestay.

Studying abroad was definitely not an easy choice to make but it was one that I am so happy that I made. It has been so far one of the best college semesters so far that i have had. Freiburg can feel kinda like a small town (I'm originally from Chicago) but that doesn't mean that there isn't something to do. Whether directly in the city of Freiburg, in the Black Forest or in other neighboring cities, you'll never really get bored. The trips offered by IES are also a great way to see more of Europe. There are a lot of international students at the University so you'll never really feel alone and people are always interested about learning about different cultures and things. The academics offered by the program are really interesting and really helps you acclimate to Germany.

I went to Argentina with the goal of improving my language skills and earning credit towards my Spanish major, as well as having the experience of living, not just vacationing, in a foreign country. After doing this program, I can honestly say that I improved my Spanish skills a considerable amount, and feel comfortable speaking with whomever, native speaker or not. I earned credits toward majors at home, became fully proficient (CELU exam certified), made tons of friends, and had a great cultural experience. I feel like I integrated pretty well — IES staff helped expose us to as much as possible, and I learned a lot from Argentine friends I met in class and while going out. Everyone was very welcoming. Make sure to surround yourself with native friends and don't use English! I learned about the history of the country, how to use porteño accent & slang, how to prepare the traditional drink "mate", spoke about the current political situation, and read Argentine literature. I feel like Buenos Aires is another home for me, and the locals and IES helped make that possible.

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I took the big step to go to Barcelona, Spain for my 2016 spring semester of college. It was hard to leave my family, but once I made it and met my loving host mom and great roommates I knew I would be alright until April. I was able to not only improve my Spanish, but I got to do so in an actual Spanish speaking country. The Spanish culture was what I enjoyed the most.I learned so much about myself that I may not have known until later in life if I had not gone. I am not fine with traveling alone, spending the night in an airport, or hoping on a plane and going to another country. It was all worth it.

My semester abroad was my first time being so far away from home, and naturally I was nervous, but by the end of the semester I didn't want to go back on the plane ride home. Going abroad was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I've been taking German for three years and going to Freiburg, Germany was my first time in Germany so I was finally able to put my skills to the test. Through this program I was able to accomplish all three of my goals: improve my German, learn about European politics, and travel. Along the way I made great friends, met people from across the globe, and grew as a person. I cannot stress enough how much this program will do for its participants.