IES Abroad Reviews

The IES Salamanca program provided me with experiences of a lifetime. The staff is supportive and understanding, and added so much to my semester abroad.

In terms of classes, the required language intensive courses are well-planned and helped me both improve my grammar and increase my confidence with the language. Upon arrival, you are required to take a language placement test, and will be put into one of three levels. Each of the classes is catered towards the level you are placed in, and the small class size is ideal for touching up on grammar concepts.

Although a homestay is not required, I highly recommend it if given the opportunity. It is a chance to fully integrate with locals, eat traditional foods, and come back everyday to a loving family. My homestay experience surpassed by expectations.

Overall, I highly recommend spending the semester in Salamanca. The college town atmosphere is extremely welcoming, the architecture is beautiful, and the city is full of history. You won’t regret it!

In just four short months, I fell in love with Granada. Granada made me feel free and reintroduced me to myself all while speaking another language and living in a new culture. I was pushed happily out of my comfort zone, lived the Granadina no pa’ na’ vida, and I am now waiting for the day to go back and visit. Granada was the perfect size for me: small enough to feel well acquainted with, yet big enough to still be exploring something new every weekend, including hiking in the surrounding mountains. Days were full of wandering the streets of the city, bonding with my host family during our daily (and delicious) lunches, and of course hanging out at my favorite and very frequented tapas bars with probably the coolest and most interesting people I have ever met. The academics of IES also helped push me out of my comfort zone. As a science student I was nervous at first about talking classes such as watercolor and art history, but it turned out to be the greatest decision I could have made. I was introduced to a whole new way of thinking and looking at the world all thanks to the wonderful professors at IES.

Studying abroad in Milan was an incredible experience. Milan isn't as touristy as other Italian cities and it offers a great mix of history, art, and modern business. Being in a city like Milan means you will always have something to do- whether that is going to the Prada Museum, spending the afternoon at Piazza Duomo, or enjoying the city's nightlife. Its location is also perfect for traveling to other European cities throughout the semester.

As a business major and an Italian minor, I was able to find classes that fit my requirements through IES Abroad's Business Studies Program. In terms of housing, IES offers you the option of doing a homestay or living in an apartment with other American students. I chose to live in an apartment and really enjoyed it. On top of being located in a great area, I lived with some of my best friends. However, I also heard great things from my friends who chose to do homestay, which offers a better opportunity for cultural immersion. All in all, I had a great experience in Milan and I recommend it to any business major who is interested in Italian culture.

The program I was enrolled in allowed me to take some classes at the University of Amsterdam as well as with professors teaching at the IES centre. (Classes I took: Gender and Sexuality in the Context of Amsterdam, Dutch Language and Culture, Conflict Studies, Global and Local Complexity of Prostitution) The classes were very interesting and diverse, allowing me to understand the culture and surroundings of Amsterdam and Europe better. They were not as challenging as my classes at my home school, and they required a lot less time than I was used to.
The city itself was a wonderful classroom. There is so much to do and see, from museums to galleries to cafes to canals. IES was helpful in getting me settled in to the city. The newsletters they sent out usually recommended different places and events around the city that I probably would not have heard about otherwise. They also had some great field trips that provided opportunities to see new places around the Netherlands. The people I met through this program became my support system through the semester and still are great friends.
Overall, though my time in Amsterdam was short, it was packed full of inspiration and eye opening experiences. I definitely recommend it!

Being the first black student in my family to study abroad and also live/work in Dublin Ireland for 3 1/2 months was an eye opening and worthwhile experience. At first I didn't have the vision to study abroad because I didn't believe there was anything for me by doing so. When I was encourage by several staff members and family, I finished the application in two weeks, received plenty of help financially, and the staff when I got to Dublin were incredibly welcoming. I took 5 classes, did a 15 hour a week internship, and still had time to plan day trips to parks, theaters, local museums, and galleries, absorbing and really interacting with the culture. It was incredible to be able to travel so easily to Europe (Where I spent 4 days in Rome) and meet people from around the world even on a tight budget. The IES program is really dedicated to seeing students succeed and feel safe, empowered, and open-minded. I'm proud to have made the choice to go abroad for a short time and I want to reach out to other ethnically underrepresented students to do the same. It's worth it!

Here's a mini-summary of my field trip to Northern Ireland. I stayed in Portrush in a nice hotel with my classmates for the weekend along with two advisers. Day one we went to Belfast and took a trip through the museum and learned about the history of the titanic. That same night we ate at a local restaurant and had fresh food and desserts delivered to our seats and got a chance to interact with the locals. The next day we went to Carrick-a-rede rope bridge and crossed over to a small island, took a tour of the 400 year old Bushmills Distillery, and visited The Giants Causeway. The last day, Sunday, we went to Dunluce Castle, Castlewellan Forest Park and Peace Maze, and arrived back in Dublin Sunday evening. There's plenty to do in Ireland, if you're willing to make the first step by getting there.

Studying abroad was most definitely the best four months of my life filled with traveling to 20 European cities, making a home in Freiburg, visiting European institutions and organizations, and creating endless memories with the people on my program.

Housing:
There are about four to five residential buildings that the 70some of us on the program all lived in. It is about a 20-30 minute tram ride between the different dorms which does separate people at first, but eventually students would travel to other dorms together. Living arrangements vary from 5-8 suitemates—who are generally University of Freiburg students. My suitemates were very friendly and welcoming and were genuinely interested in my experience in Germany. Getting to know your suitemates is a great way to interact with local students and immerse more into the local culture. Note for the students studying abroad in the Fall: the university students do not usually arrive until mid to late October—so things are quieter and slower at first, but once they arrive things start to pick up!

Freiburg:
There are not enough words to describe how great of a city Freiburg is. It’s a small to medium sized university town where you can easily get around, by foot or the convenient tram, and be comfortable with your surroundings. I felt safe and comfortable adjusting to the city and while I did a lot in the city throughout my four months there, it is a big enough city where there was still a significant amount of things I did not get to do.

Academics:
The IES EU Center is a nice and comfortable building…that we spent A LOT of hours in...to study, hang out, and for classes. The seminar is based on your previous political science classes and focuses on a more in-depth knowledge of the European Union institutions and their workings. A German class is required but previous German knowledge is not needed. I had taken four semesters before studying abroad and my language did improve by hearing locals speak and talking more than usual but due to this being an English speaking program, personal effort is necessary to progress your language ability. The other three courses are electives—the great thing about these are the local field trips and lectures you attend (during course excursions) relate to the material learned in class. The Model EU at the end of the program effectively summed up the program. We were able to take everything we learned throughout the semester and apply it to relevant policies.

Course Excursions:
The field trips were the highlight of the program—it makes it a unique program and take you to places, like the European Commission, European Parliament, various think-tanks, academic experts and more, that normally one does not have the opportunity to experience. The meetings and people we met with on these course excursions allowed us to see how the “experts” of the European Union deal with the current events. The excursions are well-planned out and the days are busy filled with meetings but there is still time to enjoy the cities.

I would highly recommend the IES EU program for many reasons—especially to those who are interested in aspects of politics and economics, as this program is heavily focused on these academic areas. I’m already counting down the days till I can go back and explore more of Europe and especially visit Freiburg again!

The IES Salamanca program is an impressively organized and supportive institution that is truly dedicated to giving students a well-rounded and unforgettable abroad experience. I had heard outstanding reviews about the program before I even went, and now, after my own experience, I can confidently say that the Salamanca program is really that of high quality. This program really excels at giving students a dynamic experience that encourages academic excellence as well as cultural immersion.

The IES professors are fantastic! The classes are both engaging and challenging. In particular, the language classes are truly outstanding. From my language classes, I gained a whole new level of confidence in my ability to speak and understand the language. In addition to traditional grammar lessons, we learned colloquial terms & phrases, cultural etiquette, and gestures. The language classes are very well-rounded courses that are designed to help students academically and culturally understand the language.

I had a very good homestay experience. It was great to live with a host mother and to experience the rich culture through that perspective. Upon arriving in Salamanca, I was under the impression that my host mother would treat me just like part of the family and that she would have as much interest in my culture as I had in hers. Unfortunately, this was not the case as my host mother has hosted 5 students a year for the past 10 years and is very accustomed to having American students stay with her. Although my host mother was truly a fantastic woman, I very much felt like I was just renting a room from her. This was not a bad experience at all, it was just different from what I was anticipating.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Salamanca program. Such a strong program in a beautiful and historic city! I wouldn’t have wanted to study anywhere else.

While abroad, I learned to view the world from a non-western perspective. I learned to compare and contrast inequalities you learn in the classroom with inequalities you see every day. I learned to take risks, to live in the moment, and to try things outside of my comfort zone. It was so incredibly worthwhile. I went to beaches, climbed mountains, and visited historic sites. You will feel out of place at times. That's okay. It's part of growing up and learning new things. Take the time to listen to local students, to learn about the lives and experiences of others, and to not be taken aback by things that are 'different'. If you choose IES Cape Town, you will not regret it!!!!

My experience in Siena was absolutely incredible. I did not know much about this small city before I arrived, and instead had the opportunity to discover what it means to be Sienese in the city itself. I had no sense of Il Palio, or the importance of the contrada (neighborhood) until I was living with a host family in La Civetta (the owl contrada), who had won Il Palio just three weeks before I arrived. The members of the neighborhood were eating huge dinners that lined the streets in celebration for the first month I was abroad, and I could hear them celebrating and singing long after I'd gone back to the apartment. Pro Tip: If you hear Christmas carols in August, it means you're in a Contrada that won, who are bragging by telling the other contradas through song that their year is over, and they'll have to wait to have another chance at glory until next summer.

My study abroad experience in Santiago, Chile surpassed my expectations in so many ways. As a member of the Health Studies Program, I took a Spanish for Healthcare Professionals course, did an internship at a community health foundation, and participated in a health studies seminar in which I learned about the Chilean healthcare system as well as the contemporary public health issues facing Chile. One of the aspects I enjoyed most about being part of the IES program was the fact that they are very well connected and very accommodating to meeting students’ interests in order for them to make the absolute most out of their experience. As part of the Health Studies Program, the majority of students choose to participate in the Clinical Observation Seminar in which they do weekly observations of hospitals; however, as one of the only students studying Public Health who was not pre-med, I hoped to do something a little more hands on where I was engaging with community members and also learning about prevention. IES was able to pair me up with a community health agency called Popular Education in Health (EPES in Spanish). This internship was one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my life. At the foundation I worked on a nutrition initiative and learned about the influence of the Chilean dictatorship on the current status of nutrition in Chile. This experience in conjunction with the IES course called Human Rights in Latin America, helped to shape my interest in learning more about the dictatorship and I am now, as a study abroad returnee, looking for as many ways as possible to integrate my interest in the dictatorship into projects or independent studies I work on at my home university.
In addition, my host family as well surpassed my expectations. At first the idea of living with three brothers was very intimidating. However, my family made sure to include me in everything. A couple of my favorite memories were running most weekends with my host mom followed by yoga sessions and also going to my host grandma’s house with my family for an asado (Chilean BBQ) when my host mom’s brother returned to Chile after seven years of living abroad. IES Santiago does a great job of pairing students with host families meeting their interests and also place you in great neighborhoods. In addition, talking with your host family every day without a doubt improves your Spanish.
Lastly, arriving in Chile I thought I would travel more than I did; however, I do not regret staying in Santiago on the weekends and exploring various museums such as the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Santiago also has an excellent food/bar/and nightlife scene. However, one of the trips I will never forget is the IES trip to Chiloe, a magical and enchanted Island in Chile’s South.
Overall, I would hands down recommend the IES Santiago Program for its wonderful connections throughout Santiago and beyond. This experience without a doubt will be one that I will remember for the rest of my life!