IES Abroad Reviews

This semester was a highlight of my college career. I learned so much about European Politics and I gained a new perspective on American politics. The classes weren't too difficult, so there was time to explore the city. Also, the program takes you on three field trips throughout the semester. This is a unique opportunity to meet with politicians, journalists, professors, and students. In Budapest, I got to hear the Secretary to the EU for Hungary talk about their position on the refugee crisis. It was incredible to interact with politicians. I highly recommend this program!

I couldn't have picked a better program than IES Dublin. The academics were the perfect balance of challenging and interesting but also manageable. The staff at IES tended to all of our needs and were very welcoming. For example, many of our teachers brought treats or served tea during class. The location of the program was great and very close to the center of the city. Additionally, our apartments were very nice and about a four minute walk from the center. I felt very safe the entire time I was in Ireland. The night life and social scene were great! I wish I could do it again.

For many people, Morocco is not the first choice destination for study abroad, and I can understand why.
The Language, the cultural norms, and the location is different and does take time to adjust to. However, it is not impossible to find yourself really acclimating to the Moroccan lifestyle--which is a vibrant blend of chaos, fast driving, embraces, street food, singing, dancing, bargaining, coffee shops, and diversity.
IES Abroad in Rabat does a wonderful job of providing enough resources and support for students to ease into living in Morocco, while also giving us the freedom to move around, explore, and learn on our own.
The first ten days of Orientation equip students with helpful phrases in survival Arabic and explanations of cultural practices. The Program trips are well planned out and exhibit different places and cultures within Morocco. The program also provides a lot of support when it comes to homestays, from the vetting of possible hosts to checking up with students throughout the semester about their happiness with their host family. Everybody is always happy and content with their families. With such a safe support system, it empowers students to not be afraid of the foreignness of Morocco and really get out there and explore. Exploration was my favorite part of my time abroad. I had quite a few crazy nights/adventures: clubbing in Marakesh, randomly meeting friendly Moroccan youth in Rabat and traveling to little known cool spots, traveling to beach towns and throwing house parties, eating the best couscous of my life after a long day in exploring in Jaam'a Lefna. All this was possible due to the endless hospitality of the Moroccan people, and the support of the IES staff, who give you to the tools to travel Morocco with confidence.

I was immensely glad I chose to travel to Dublin through IES. The IES coordinated field trips to Northern Ireland and Causey Farm were some of the best experiences I had while I was abroad. Causey Farm was particularly interesting because I talked to a friend from Dublin, and she said she remembered the same trip from primary school! It was awesome to know that we were experiencing the same thing as those who lived in Ireland.
In addition, I was in Paris for travel at the time of the Paris Terror attacks, and I was exceptionally glad to know that IES was watching over me. I recieved a call from the Chicago center and from the staff at the Dublin center within an hour of the beginning of the attacks, ensuring my safety and ready to give advice should I need it. I really appreciated the prompt response and the knowledge that someone knew where I was and was watching out for me.
Trinity College was an amazing experience as well. I loved being directly enrolled, and joining societies was a great way to meet people and engage with the local culture. The academics were an adjustment, as any different system will be, and overall the experience was one of immense value.

It's extremely hard to describe how amazing this program was and how much I learned and grew from being a part of it. The staff at IES were truly incredible--many of them were young and love experiencing the city so they were able to provide advice and suggestions (whether it was where to go for dinner, what museums were the best, or what are of London had the best nightlife). The classes were very interesting and I loved being able to learn about the UK and then have the opportunity to go out and experience what we were learning in the classroom. In all of my classes we took at least one trip out of the classroom and into the city--being a visual learner this was extremely helpful in learning the class materials and it also helped me learn a lot about the history of certain parts of London. Living right near King's Cross was incredible and it was so easy to get around London considering the tube was right down the street! I also was able to make so many amazing friends from this program that I know I will always share my experiences with! I cannot wait to go back to London and wish I could experience it all over again!

The EU program was absolutely amazing, and really the most unique study abroad program out there! Freiburg, Germany, where the program is based is an adorable little town filed with really cool people. It is an extremely green city nestled within the Black Forest, just across the border from both France & Switzerland. I spoke no German, and never found myself in trouble because of that. Freiburg is full of students and families, and I never felt unsafe. I lived with 5 other German students, and was really able to get to know them. Freiburg definitely came to feel like home, and I'd love to go back. Academically, the classes weren't a walk in the park like other programs. They required a fair amount of work, and genuine interest in the topic you are studying. I am not an economics nor political science major, but still found classes I enjoyed. The professors really care about you as students and you get really unique perspectives from them. The BEST part of this program is the travel. I went to 15 countries, and had a great time on every trip. Study abroad is all about these unforgettable experiences, and the 3 weeks of travel included on this program add to that!

The five months that I spent in Granada had a profound impact on my sense of self; since returning, I am more confident, comfortable, and excited about my future. I recommend the program without hesitation! There are three main reasons - along with a whole bunch of secondary ones - that I say recommend it so enthusiastically.

The first is the IES Granada program. The staff at IES Granada is engaged, compassionate, and experienced - they do a tremendous job with integration into the city. Javier, the director, does everything in his power to provide you with whatever opportunity you're interested in, and the rest of the staff make it happen. What is more, every time I walked into the IES building, it felt a little bit more like home.

The second reason that I unequivocally recommend the IES Granada program is the city itself. You'll fall in love with the Granada on day one! Because it's a young city of students, it's incredibly cheap. The University of Granada plays a big role in its character, which makes the night life fantastic as well. The people are the best part, though. Andalucians in general are nicer than their northern counterparts, and life is slow-paced. People take the siesta; no one seems to be in a hurry. No pasa nada. During my time in Spain, I visited all the big cities, and I have to say, Granada is definitely the most beautiful! People from from Barcelona and Madrid will tell you the same.

The final reason that I give the IES Granada program ten stars is the amount of cultural assimilation that the program facilitates. The program works with nice families in good neighborhoods to arrange homestays. For example, I lived in a third floor apartment about twenty minutes from the IES center in a residential part of the city. My host mother was proud to share wonderful spanish food with me, and I was never hungry. My host family was also committed to helping me connect with Andalucian culture; they brought me to concerts, introduced me to their extended family, and taught me a great deal of colloquial spanish. I will never forget Manoli, Marcelo, and Andrea.

Because I had such a fantastic and formative time in Granada, time seemed elastic. Five months passed in what seemed like five days. Reflecting on the experience now, I realize that I wouldn't have had it any other way. If you're thinking about studying with IES Abroad in Granada, do it!

While I was studying abroad one of my best experiences was going to the Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt) in Berlin, Germany. During the Christmas season, everywhere is decorated with Christmas lights and these Christmas Markets. They are very special and always have a warm atmosphere with food, drink, and gifts for Christmas that could only be found there. Going out at night when everything was all lit up and everyone was bundled up to stay warm was one of my favorite experiences while being abroad!

One of the memorable experiences this program allowed me and the rest of those on the program to have was a trip to the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France. On the surface, this was going to be a trip to an institution that certainly lacks popularity and overall importance if you were to ask the average citizen in the European Union. But, the European Parliament has accomplished a lot and is extremely significant (when you go on this program you will learn more than you need to know about this institution). When we got there we learned that we may actually be able to hear Chancellor Merkel of Germany and President Hollande of France speak to the Parliament, which was an historic occasion. So we went through security and got into the viewing area but unfortunately had missed Merkel's speech. Luckily, we got to hear the last 10 minutes of Hollande's speech and the responses by Parliament members. While listening to Hollande's speech, we were allowed the "pleasure" of also hearing Nigel Farage, of UKIP in the UK, make remarks towards Hollande. Hollande proceeded to tell those that are Eurosceptics and against the European project as a whole should just go ahead and leave the Union. Now those were some strong words. I will never forget listening to that and being able to listen and see those important government officials.
Overall, the program is incredible. The travel is extensive and exhausting but provides you with numerous memorable experiences that may not seem as memorable to others but to you will have special significance. Being able to go back to Freiburg after the week-long trips is great too. Freiburg quickly became one of my favorite cities in the world and while it may seem small, has so much to offer.

Going to Berlin was an amazing experience! The IES building was located in Mitte (the central district of Berlin) so it was very easy to get around and see the city. I lived in Kreuzberg with an amazing host family who were very helpful and made me feel extremly welcomed in the city. Living in Berlin and being surrounded by so much history made the experience extra special!

The program allowed a lot of flexibility in the scheduling of classes which made travel much easier. I got to travel to so many different cultures and have mazing experiences there as well!

I would recommend this program to anyone! It was life changing!