IES Abroad London

Studying abroad on IES' Study London program was hands down the best decision I made in my college career. They prepared all of their students for life in London. The staff was genuine and accessible whenever you needed them. I think one of my biggest take aways from the experience is the fact that still talk to the friends that I made nearly every day. If you're studying abroad in London, I can't think of a better program to do it with.

One of my favorite things about this program is that they plan trips for their students that they can sign up for, and at first I didn't want to go on these trips but once I made my friends there, I knew I couldn't miss out. The Scotland trip was probably one of the best traveling experiences I had. It's a time when you can get to know the on-site staff and other students in your program much better- especially through Karaoke in a little town in Scotland. IES does so much to make their program unique and fun for everyone.

London is a place where you can just jump on the tube, get off at a stop you have never heard of before, and explore. That is what I did to get to know the city and it is how I found some of my favorite spots!

My time abroad was such an incredible and rewarding experience. I think about London every day and can only say how amazing my time there was because of the opportunities, guidance, encouragement, and passion that my program provided. I went through IES Study London, which is an unique program because we are not directly enrolled full time at a traditional University. There are intern programs and the option to take a course at an outside University, which is something I did do. At first I thought this would “hinder” my abroad experience, but the dynamic ended up truly making it because my entire program was able to get to know each another so much better through classes, living in the same building, and participating in IES trips together. The classes at IES are taught by credible professors and the class-sizes were small and challenging. I learned a whole new perspective of international politics that I hadn’t been exposed to back home and really took away valuable skills and a better understanding about the world around me. London is such a vibrant city and IES does such a wonderful job helping us transition and encourages us to take full advantage of our time abroad. They really made London feel smaller and much more personal. I was able to learn and grow so much during my time in London and am so thankful for such an amazing experience. The chance to truly live, study, and experience a city for more than a visit is an opportunity that everyone should take full advantage of— I promise you will only regret it if you don’t go abroad!!

Going abroad to London through IES was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life so far. It was easy to create a schedule of classes that allowed me to have a lot of free time to travel on the weekends and explore London. The staff also planned a lot of day trips, a midterm trip through Scotland (where we got to pet and feed REINDEER!), and day outings in London to make sure we had a great time. We lived close to the biggest tube station in London so getting around was really easy, and I liked living in a residence hall with a bunch of other study abroad students. The only negative was that the rooms were pretty small and the shared communal kitchen got dirty and lacked some basic kitchen equipment, but really I wasn’t in the residence hall that much. I would definitely recommend this program and the location: London is the most incredible city with so much to do and explore!

My love for music and attending concerts became a substantial part of my life while studying abroad in London through IES. IES staff members want you to have a great individual immersion, so they were always insightful when I asked questions about how a typical English student would be living including places to get cheap food, neighborhoods where young people hang, places to shop, resources for homework, and of course, which bands or dj's were in town and where. IES staff would share their personal favorite artists for me to listen to while recommending venues or student deals for shows.

Music was even incorporated into my curriculum. In my British Youth Culture course, we studied different historical periods and subcultures that were relatable for students and included studying famous British musicians. From the The Beatles to the creators of dub step, my courses allowed to further explore my interests and apply them in an academic setting.

Months and months of anticipation felt like a lifetime compared to the months actually spent abroad. Landing in London on January 5th was one of the most exciting days of my life. I was nervous to be away from home for such a long amount of time, but excited to start one of my most independent adventures of my entire life.

The first thing I wanted to do was to take a nap! I didn't get much sleep on the plane (due to excitement) and the jetlag was hitting hard! However, IES London had a different plan in mind. I arrived with my months worth of luggage and was told that I had one hour to get settled and that I would be going on a tour of the area and purchasing my Oyster card (the public transportation card that will inevitably become your best friend). IES staff knew we were all exhausted, but that the best thing for us was to get moving and adjust as best as we could to the time change as soon as possible. We all got our necessary items (sheets, hangers, and all the essentials) and got excited for what was left to come.

IES Staff wanted us all to have the best experience possible from day 1. Whether it was organizing fun and interesting tours around all of England, to just having a casual conversation about our travel plans in between classes. They never failed to lend their years of advice to ensure we were safe and making the most of our time overseas! I would not have traded this experience for anything and would not have wanted my experience to be with any other abroad coordinators.

Going abroad in London was easily the best decision I've ever made. I was able to learn more about myself than I ever thought possible while experiencing a new culture and lifestyle. Day to day life in London proved to be something that I could get used to in a heart beat and if you're looking for a big city and never running out of things to do, London is the place for you. I was able to travel and see the world while abroad, which was something that was also extremely important to me. I made connections and relationships with people that I have no doubt will help me down the line and I will treasure the friendships and memories forever.