IES Abroad Reviews

The IES European Union program gave me the most exciting and unique experiences of my life through education, cultural understanding, and plenty of time for tourism as well. This program allowed me to see and experience the culture in 13 European countries, meet diplomats, CEOs, party leaders, and high government officials during our multiple week long course excursions. Visiting the Member States and Institutions was an invaluable experience that truly supplemented all of the work we did in the classroom. The importance of the European Union and the relevant courses offered by the program kept us students informed and active with the issues, and propelled discussion well after class was dismissed. Discussing the current issues of the migration/refugee crisis and the environmental issues as the nations grapple with the issues proves to be a great learning and philosophical experience.
Living alongside German students from the University also proved to be crucial cultural immersion. Cooking, laughing, and singing with these students proved to be some of the most cherished memories from my experience abroad.
The supreme location in the Black Forest with both France and Switzerland at your fingertips, I was able to experience and learn from so many different ways of life. I have never had a more exciting four months in my life and I would do anything to get to relive this experience again. Swimming in the Aegean Sea and skiing in the Swiss Alps within the same week was one of the many many unbelievable experiences this program offered me and it is with a smile on my face that I would recommend it to the next generation of Study Abroaders.

My semester in Sydney was far better than I could have ever imagined it would be. From the moment I got through customs in Australia the IES leaders were always there to provide a helping hand when needed. IES also organized numerous free lunches, a once in a lifetime trip to Cairns over mid semester break, and a surfing lesson which were all incredible experiences. The program directors were all very personable and kind which made the journey through my semester abroad even more amazing. The city is always busy with awesome events and concerts, the beaches are gorgeous, the people are friendly, and the education at University of Sydney was spectacular. Overall my semester in Sydney was by far the best four and a half months of my life and IES made it possible in an easy and affordable manner. If you're looking to study abroad, I would HIGHLY recommend going to Sydney through IES Abroad!

I absolutely loved my study abroad experience in Dublin, Ireland! With a gracious culture reflected in cozy pubs and gentle parks, Dublin became my ideal city; the people are warm and inviting, the cityscape is walk-able and historic, and the coast is remarkably serene. With my student apartment so close the city center, I managed to start most mornings walking through the verdant paths of St. Steven’s Green.
Because of how accessible Dublin and the surrounding countryside is, I felt very connected to the cultural and recreational opportunities that Ireland has to offer; I woke up each morning with a great sense of excitement and delight in pursuing all of the pubs, museums, plays, hikes (Wicklow Mountains!), and historical sights that were within easy reach.
My favorite part about the experience, however, was being directly enrolled into Trinity College and enjoying all of the academic (like the Book of Kells!) and social resources provided by the campus. The program allowed me to immerse myself in the student life at Trinity and befriend not only Irish students, but also international students from various continents studying at the historic college center. Societies, for me, ranging from volunteer to athletic and niche areas in between (Juggling!) were the most rewarding ways to get involved and experience Dublin through unique perspectives; rock climbing around Ireland with the Climbing Club and participating in various tastings and workshops with the Food and Drink Society offered fun opportunities to not necessarily tour around, but rather live in Dublin as a local student.
My IES Abroad Direct Enrollment experience, overall, was infused with positive memories of feeling integrated into the city and social life of Dublin!

IES Abroad Granada truly is the perfect study abroad program. Initially, when I chose Granada, I only thought of it as a small city in Southern Spain. I didn’t know anything about the local culture, the rich history that every inch of the city holds, or the Alhambra. I had never used the words “siesta”, “tapa”, “tinto de verano” or “no pasa nada” (all of which a local uses at least 5 times a day). The laid back, easy-going way of life makes it very easy to fall in love with the city.
One of my favorite memories was celebrating my host mom's 54th birthday. Her birthday fell on our last Saturday in Granada, so she wanted to celebrate with us. In the morning, my roommate and I had our final performance flamenco show (from our flamenco class) that our host mom and host sister attended. When we got home, we found that our host mom had prepared a huge feast with traditional seafood paella, tons of bread and olive oil and tossed salad. Her daughter bought mini cakes at a local bakery for us to eat once we were stuffed from lunch! My roommate and I bought our mom a "birthday crown" and had her wear it throughout the meal. We sang happy birthday to her, watched her blow out her candles and gave her a present (a dark H&M scarf that she had been admiring). The best part of this lunch celebration was talking with our family. In total, the meal took 4 hours because we just sat and talked (in Spanish, of course:) about life. This was an extremely special experience for me.
Each day was a new learning adventure while I was there: whether it was learning a new Spanish word with my host mom at lunch, finding a new tapas restaurant with friends, exploring a portion of the Alhambra, watching flamenco performances on the street or wandering aimlessly around the city. My study abroad experience in Granada provided me with countless life lessons that I could not have possibly learned in a classroom. My 4 months in Granada gave me some time to step back, relax and reflect on my life. I would strongly encourage anyone to look into this program, because it truly changed my life. Granada no longer is a small city in Southern Spain, Granada is home.

I had a fantastic time with IES Abroad in Tokyo, Japan. First of all, the location of the program was exactly what I'd been hoping for during my semester abroad. The IES Tokyo program is largely conducted in Chiba, Japan, the prefecture (like states in America) next to Tokyo, which was an ideal location in my opinion. Chiba is very comparable to Long Island, NY in that it is by the water, and a slower-paced residential area only an hour away (by first-rate public transportation) from one of the largest and brightest metropolises in the world. So you can go into Tokyo for the day by train, enjoy the city, and leave the bustle and fast-pace as you return to your quiet and welcoming town to rest after an action-packed day in the big city.
As for a unique experience that I had, I'd definitely like to mention the field trip to Kanazawa offered by IES Abroad. As a group of about 15 students we traveled on the world-famous Shinkansen (bullet train) up north to a city called Kanazawa, famous for its fresh seafood and gold production. After touring a beautiful city that had much historical charm preserved, we spent the night and went to an idyllic village called Shirakawa-go. The scenery was something out of a movie. It was brimming with stunning scenery and rustic charm, and I felt that I had been transported hundreds of years back in time. The feeling of walking around the town was indescribable, so I've attached 3 pictures that I took while there. On that day it was rainy and foggy, so the pictures are not crystal clear, but I think the beauty of Shirakawa-go can be seen just fine.

I had an experience I will never forget in Madrid thanks to IES. They were very organized and helped me throughout my entire pre departure process. I did not apply for a visa through IES, and when I ran into problems the staff was very helpful in solving the problem.

Once I arrived, it did not take me long to feel at home. I had the most wonderful host family, and the staff helped us acclimate. The weekend excursions, and extracurriculars that I participated in were especially fun and marked my experience. I would recommend getting involved in all the activities that IES offers such as cooking classes, dance lessons, and exchange groups where you meet with Spanish students.

As for the classes, I enjoyed some of them and some were fairly bland. I did expect this being abroad, and overall did not feel like I was wasting my time despite the course load because it helped me improve my Spanish. I would recommend taking the Art History class at the Prado it was an unforgettable experience.

My living situation was perfect, the food was delicious, and the people on the program were amazing. My only complaint would be the Spanish connections to the community. I felt that it was not the easiest to connect with Spaniards organically, you had to search for opportunities such as going to intercambio bars to truly feel connected. Overall it was a semester I will never forget and I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering it!

When I arrived in Dublin, Ireland, I did not know a soul in the entire country. As a first time international traveler this was daunting to say the least. It took me at least an hour just to figure out what bus I needed to take from the airport to city center (growing up in the suburbs, I was not well-equipped to deal with foreign public transportation). After much stress and frustration however, I found myself on the correct bus heading into the heart of Dublin. After a few deep breaths, a quick phone call with my mom, and helpful assistance from countless strangers, I had regained enough of my sanity to make it through the rest of the day.

I got through many tough times in this same fashion, and I think one of the most important things I learned was that it's okay to ask for help. Nine out of ten times, if I asked a stranger in Ireland to help me with something they would either personally see to it or they would point me in the right direction. The staff at the IES center only reinforced this hospitality further.
I can say, with no exaggeration, that the staff at IES Abroad Dublin are some of the most kind people I have had the pleasure of encountering and interacting with. All of them-- whether it's the RA's such as Conor and Myriam or the teachers/faculty such as Stephen, Regina, Claire, and Megan-- are on the same page when it comes to kindness, selflessness, and inclusivity. Not only did this create a safe and enjoyable learning environment for the students but it also proved to be contagious. Oftentimes the positivity throughout the center was palpable, as if it floated through the air and was circulated through the vents.

This was vital to me personally as I passed through a very rough phase in my study abroad semester. To keep it short, I fell into a bad depression at a point and was not sure if I could even complete the program. A mixture of a lot of things, homesickness being one of them, led me to feeling very sad, scared, and confused. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and I went into the center to talk with someone. As soon as I talked to Claire, who was in charge of student welfare, she brought me to her office and sat me down to talk about what was going on. Without a blink she helped me to get the help I needed and, in a matter of a few weeks, I was able to continue living fully in Dublin.

What is important to note is that there was no hesitation by any of the center staff when it came to my health and well-being. Claire put in so much extra time and care to help me and I could never thank her enough for that. On top of that, the center staff and teachers were all so very understanding to my needs. They did not force me to come to class if I did not feel able and I was given all the necessary time it took to get my assignments completed. The bottom line is that the IES Abroad Dublin staff are absolutely superb and one-of-a-kind. I feel very grateful to have met them and been taught very valuable life skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Their kindness and sincerity go unmatched.

Best wishes,
Danny

Put bluntly, the IES direct enrollment program to the Gaiety School of Acting is the single best theatre program for an acting student who is also looking for foreign culture immersion. Gaiety puts you directly into their class of first years, creating an ensemble-focused curriculum that allows you to make lifelong friends with native Irish students. This gave me the opportunity to see Dublin through their eyes and experiences, giving me a whole new appreciation and love for my temporary home.

Dublin is the best city for theatre-lovers I've ever visited. You can see shows at the historic Abbey Theatre, learn about the rich tradition of Irish theatre while at Gaiety, and see and read the work of some of the best playwrights like Sean O'Casey, Marina Carr, and Conor McPherson. The best part is that you can see the vast majority of the best theatre in town for about 15 euro a seat (a far cry from the billion dollars you need to pay to see Hamilton this summer).
At Gaiety, you will take about thirteen classes, with some being just an hour and half a week while the more crucial ones are about 11 hours a week. These are everything from traditional conservatory classes like Acting, Voice, and Movement, to special skill classes like Singing, Mime, and Stage Combat. However, the greatest class Gaiety offers is Manifesto. In this class, every student gets to create short pieces of theatre, through which actors find their purpose in the field, what story the want to tell, and how they like to tell it. For example, through my four pieces I created, I found out that I enjoy doing stylized, minimalist pieces with a lot of audience interaction.

My experience in Dublin was so wonderful that I'm already looking forward to going back. And when I do, I will have great friends in my classmates, tutors, and even IES employees who I can't wait to see again. There's no other program like Gaiety out there. If you're gonna go abroad, go here.

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires through IES Abroad was an amazing experience. I learned so much about the culture and history of Argentina and about myself. I have a better understanding of what my interests are and what I value. I feel more confident and adventurous after spending time traveling and living in Argentina. IES Abroad’s staff was very helpful and supportive. The courses I took through IES were interesting and appropriately rigorous, though they were easier than most of my classes at Rice. My abilities reading and writing in Spanish improved greatly because of my classes, and my speaking abilities improved from speaking with locals everyday. I feel like I quickly integrated into Argentine culture, but I thought it was somewhat challenging to develop friendships with locals. Buenos Aires is an amazing city, and it’s full of fun things to do and experience. I am very happy I chose to study abroad there. Studying abroad can be challenging at times, but it was a really positive experience overall.

IES provided many opportunities that really enhanced my experience abroad, but I did have to do quite a bit of work outside of the program to fully benefit from my experience. The excursions that were part of course work, which was incredible to learn about a piece of German history and then go see it in context. Other than these excursions with my American classmates, experiencing German culture and meeting locals was mostly up to me to discover. It was quite difficult to find locals that were interested in befriending an American who would leave in four months. I was determined to not allow a little culture barrier prevent me from meeting locals, so I joined a rowing team in southern Berlin and it became the highlight of my experience! This program really does allow for you to live independently (aside from living with a host family), but you must be comfortable going out of your way to make your abroad experience worth while. Additionally my housing situation was not ideal for me. My host family was more interested in me as a renter than me as a guest. My suggestion would be to get an apartment with locals that are closer to your age and are living a typical student lifestyle. I often felt like I was intruding on the family, and it was strange having lived on my own during college and then being placed with a family with children that was not my own, I felt very out of place. I initially was really excited to have a host family, but in the end, I realized how much I would have preferred living with people my own age who would be studying and living a similar lifestyle to me.