IES Abroad Reviews

Nantes was the perfect place for my study abroad experience. Going into studying abroad, I was looking to be fully immersed in French Language & Culture, and that is exactly what this program did for me.

When I was trying to choose a program, what stood out to me about IES is how they genuinely wanted to ensure that you had a good experience. They didn't just want you to sign up for their program and then completely disregard you once you got there. Their staff was involved from beginning to end making sure that every student had a good experience.

Another one of my favorite parts of the program was the home-stay experience. Everyone is required to live with a host family, which really helped everyone's french improved and allowed us to really get to know french culture. Almost all of my friends loved their host families, which is not something I have necessarily heard voiced from other people who have studied abroad. The host families in Nantes have been doing the program for years, so they are familiar with the student's experience. For me, having a host family was a great thing because it meant not being alone. I still had that home base to go back to every night where I was able to continue to learn about french culture and also build connections with a "second" family.

Academically, the program was great. Taking all of my classes in French definitely helped improve my french. The work load was a good amount. It wasn't so much that you had no time for anything else, but it wasn't too little to the point where it felt like you weren't even in school.

The IES staff and local french university teaching students also made this program stick out. The staff were always readily available to help you with any problem you had. There were also local french university teaching students who were there to help you with anything from academic problems to how to use the public transportation. Having other french students in the center were great because they helped hold us accountable to speak in french and they gave us an insight into the life of a french student. Not to mention by the end of the program we were all close friends!

The Nantes program was exactly what I was looking for in study abroad! They gave us enough guidance to feel comfortable living in a new country and city, but enough freedom to grow and explore on our own.

As vocalist who is pursuing a career in performance, I could not have chosen a better program. Not only was the staff incredibly supportive but they were also very experienced in their field. With this combination, I did nothing but flourish as a musician. IES provided me the opportunity to study with professors who taught at the Conservatorio di Milano, in addition to a professor who had a residency at a local theatre and another professor who has had several books published in the field of musicology. This only encouraged me to embrace the Italian culture further and to appreciate the pure art in Italy.

By studying music in the historic city of Milan, I was able to walk the same streets of Verdi and Puccini while also having access to La Scala allowing me to the opportunity see some of opera’s best performers, including Leo Nucci and Placido Domingo. Furthermore, in the city of Milan lies several hidden treasures including: Da Vinci’s “Last Supper” and Casa Verdi. While the academic and local experience was astounding, the program allowed students to have long weekends so that we could travel around Europe if we desired. This permitted me to see some of the countries I’ve only dreamed of seeing : various parts of Italy, Germany, and Greece.

IES Milan: Music and Innovation was the perfect program for me. It was the perfect blend of educational, motivational, and helped me to grow even in ways that I can't explain. If you have the chance to study with this program I highly recommend it.

After living in Southern California my entire life, I chose to experience a culture other than Mexican food and the beach 24/7. I chose to study in the small town of Freiburg, Germany, which borders France and Switzerland and has a population of 200,000 people. Although I came to Germany to experience a culture shock, I came in with expectations about people who value beer drinking, wurst eating, and organization. Little did I know Freiburg is where the average hippie meets traditional German culture, creating a unique mix.

When I first arrived, I was eager to see my new living situation. As I got off the tram stop for the first time, I realized I was not in stereotypical Deutschland anymore. The dorms are adorned in paintings of flowers and bunnies. Hanging above doors are white banners with the words “Refugees Welcome”. To my right I saw people in parachute pants with dreadlocks, chilling around a campfire. Volkswagen vans and random shacks surrounded me in what appeared to be a junkyard, but are actually homes for the local hippie commune.

Finally, I arrived at my flat where naturally there was a couch on the patio blocking the door. I cautiously stepped in, and saw the walls were orange with paint and graffiti all over, some which read “Abolish capitalism”. There were lights, a ladder, and vines hanging from the ceiling. After listening to this description, many people may think I am living in Berkeley, CA. In reality I am living in Vauban student housing, where the greenest of the Green party members live in Freiburg.

As a result of living in the Green City, I have adapted to many simple uniquely Freiburg customs. The city itself is traversed by way more bikes than cars. Back home when I cross the street I naturally look out for cars, but now I must look for cars, trams, and bikers. Needless to say, I have been almost run over multiple times.

In the states when I am finished eating a banana and granola bar, I walk to the single trash can and throw away my food. In Freiburg, however, there are four trash cans. One must throw away the granola bar wrapper in the plastics trash can and the banana peel in the compost section. I still find myself sometimes blankly staring at the trash for five minutes trying to determine where each piece of trash goes.

But the most valuable lessons here come from political discussions with my flatmates. Many of them are from the socialist party in Germany and are very left-wing, in contrast to my professors who tend to be pro-European Union and Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. It is refreshing to hear about other democracies and the German perspective of the United States.

Although Freiburg is a free-spirited culture, it still embraces some of the German stereotypes. For example, the extremely aggressive, harsh sounding language. Someone might be saying “I love you” but instead it sounds like “Get out of the way, before I rip your head off.” It does not help that as a culture they do not smile while speaking. It makes you feel like they are always mad at you, when in fact they might really like you.

Also, the stereotype of German efficiency is real. If you are on time, you are late, even in the laid-back town of Freiburg. Multiple times I have sprinted toward the tram to get to school because the tram came a minute early. Even grocery checkout is efficient, with the checkers scanning food so fast you barely have time to take out your eco-friendly bag, before they are already done with scanning all 20 of your items.

Upon arrival I thought I knew everything about the world and myself, but within the first day I learned I knew very little about both. The sooner I embraced this concept, the more I enjoyed each city I visited because I would come into a city with a blank slate.

Putting aside the stereotypes has allowed me to form my own opinions and thoughts on new cities without having too high of expectations.

My experience studying abroad with IES is difficult to sum up in a paragraph, or in any amount of words for that matter. Cape Town stole my heart in so many ways and I miss it every single day. It is a fantastic location to spend a semester- the people, the natural beauty, the history, the culture, the opportunities for adventure, etc. will completely envelop you and open your eyes to a whole new perspective. One of the reasons why I was able to have such a positive experience is without a doubt because of the IES staff. They provided us with an extensive orientation, planned several fun and informative field trips for us throughout the semester, and were always a constant source of support and guidance. They helped make Cape Town home. The students in IES became like a community to me as well, who I shared many of my favorite memories and made lifelong friends with. The spring break trip that IES planned to Kruger National Park was one of my favorite weeks for sure. I cannot wait to go back to Cape Town someday.

My experience in Granada exceeded my expectations tenfold. I didn't know much about the city before the semester, but even after my first week I knew I had stumbled upon a special place. Granada is a relatively small city (~250,000 people) but there is a ton to do. It has all the benefits of city life (clubs, bars, restaurants, cultural attractions) but it's only a walk or bus ride away from some incredible hiking trails, beaches, and other natural wonders. The IES program is exceptionally organized and well run thanks to their wealth of experience working with the typical problems that occur during an abroad program. I felt safe and well supported throughout the semester. If you are looking for a bit of everything during study abroad then Granada is a good place for you.

Ever since I was young I dreamed about visiting Paris. IES Abroad gave me the opportunity to not just visit Paris, but to live and learn there! The classes in the business program were interesting, applicable, and worked toward my management major. I was very anxious about studying abroad but IES helped every step of the way. They assisted me through the visa process, made sure I was comfortable with my living situation, and the staff at the center were like family. They went out of their way to help us get phone plans, took us on trips to learn about the culture, fixed problems with metro cards, and much more. It was easy to make friends since we were all from American Universities and in an environment very different than our own. Overall I was able to meet incredible people, live in a culture different than my own, and fulfil my dream of living in Paris.

My time abroad was the best five semesters of my life. I had no idea what to expect going into the semester; I'd never been to Europe, I didn't speak any Italian, and I didn't know anyone else in my program. I'm so happy that I forced myself to break out of my comfort zone and go! I visited so many incredible places and ate some of the best food in the world while I was abroad. I took a wide variety of classes, both within my major and outside of it, which was a perfect balance of advancing myself further in my International Business major as well as learn more about Italian culture and history.

IES provided a lot of great opportunities to attend events throughout Milan as well as travel to new cities and countries with the program, making it really easy to get to know the other students in the program. I also lived in a wonderful part of the city, just a 10 minute walk away from the Duomo and even closer to the main fashion streets of Milan. It is also very easy to travel elsewhere from Milan, with its easy public transportation systems, multiple train stations, and multiple airports close by.

I highly recommend this program for everyone!

Spending a semester in Amsterdam with the IES Study Abroad program was one of the most culturally enriching and impactful experiences I have had in college so far! Amsterdam is a truly incredible city that has something for nearly anyone to fall in love with, whether it's biking along the canals, sipping fresh mint tea in a cozy cafe, spending time in one of the countless museums, or grabbing a beer with friends at a local brewery. One day that particularly stands out to me was near the end of the semester when my Dutch Art History teacher invited the entire class over for tea and appeltaart after taking the final exam. We all climbed on our bikes and followed her to her quaint apartment where we spent a wonderful afternoon chatting, admiring the various pieces of art she had either collected or created herself, but mostly reminiscing on how incredible our abroad experience had been. My time in Amsterdam with IES Abroad was better than I could have ever anticipated, and I absolutely cannot wait until the day I return.

What do you think of when you think of China? In my experience most people think of the smog, pollution, and overcrowding, as well as the completely different language that usually winds up with someone trying to imitate it, poorly. When I left for China, these conceptions of China were all swirling around in my head like a tornado, but once I arrived and settled in my preconceptions of China melted away and I understood what China is really like.
Beijing is an incredibly intimidating city. There are few places in the world where you are surrounded by 24 million people. However Beijing is not a vertical city, it is a sprawling city that reaches out over sixteen thousand square kilometers, which really makes the city seem like a small country. In Beijing, there is so much to do, see, and experience that it is impossible to put into a small review. Beijing has ancient cultural sites, buildings, and events but also has a very strong modern atmosphere to it. The Great Wall and the Forbidden Palace are typical cultural sites that many people think of, but there is so much more than just those sites. There is the Summer Palace, the Yonghe Temple, and so much more to explore. In addition to Chinese culture, there is Sanlitun, the famous district where there is shopping, cafes, and many other western influences. Sanlitun is something that I think most people would not expect of China, this is a place that shows off how modern China has become. While these places were the highlights of my trip, there are an unlimited number of alleys, back streets, and paths that could be taken to the next adventure and that was one of the reasons that I loved Beijing so much.
My time in the IES program was fantastic. Our program was smaller than in previous years, which I believe, lead to more personal relationships with the staff as well as other students. This program is heavily focused on language. There is a language pledge that requires speaking only Chinese on campus. I also had around 2 hours of Chinese daily as well as other cultural, economic, and governmental classes. This program is not a cake walk, however it was incredibly rewarding. My time in the classroom as well as my one on one tutor sessions helped my Chinese skill by leaps and bounds. My cultural understanding also improved significantly from my in class experiences, but also from the many trips we took throughout Beijing. On the other hand, the IES program is not all work and no play. There were plenty of opportunities to make friends, both from my home country and from China, throughout the entire trip. I met many people who were so different from me, but also so similar to me. It was easy to make friends and the intense anxiety I felt about being alone in a new country quickly vanished. Overall, the program was an excellent mix of both educational challenges, having fun with new friends, and exploring a new place.

Living and studying in Nantes was one of the best semesters of my life. The center staff was always helpful, my host mother was just so nice and helpful, and the teachers gave interesting lessons over a variety of French subjects. Basically, IES provided a fantastic program that not only developed my French, but helped me understand the nuances of French culture which only strengthened my love for France.
Living in the city of Nantes likely made this process easier too. Nantes is just a fantastic city to live in, with so many things to do it can be a bit overwhelming at times. However, my favorite thing to do in Nantes was just go walk along the river. Every Sunday I would just spend the afternoon walking up and around the river Erdre, which was relatively close to where I lived. It was calming just walking along the nature trails and boardwalks built alongside this majestic ancient river, watching (and maybe listening to) all the people walking by on their afternoon strolls. It was also really fun to take the boat to the other side of the river, just because I could, and continue observing French life, and wildlife. It really was a nice way to take a break from whatever piece of homework I had to work on, while still being a part of French society.