IES Abroad Freiburg

I had a great time during the European Union program. I was first attracted to the program because of the trips and unique visits to EU institutions but grew to love all aspects of my time abroad beyond the field trips. While I think it's super cool that I met MEPs and visited the European Council, Court of Justice and Commission, I was also taught by a team of amazing worldly faculty and befriended students from near and far. I felt supported by both staff and students while in Germany and my needs were always taken care of. I had never been to Europe or studied European politics before and now I feel like I have a good handle on both culture and politics. The only downside is that I do not personally think I spent enough time learning about Germany. We spent so much time outside of Germany that, unless you take a German class or have an organic interest in German culture outside of the program, you could leave the country without a true feel of the local culture. To combat this, I think the program did a good job of keeping us informed about local news and events but should have taken on a more hands on role to help students get involved.

This program is wonderful and so is Freiburg! It is located in a perfect spot, making access to France, Switzerland, and Austria quite simple. IES Abroad also plans gives you the opportunity to go on a planed trip to Berlin and Italy and Switzerland!
All the traveling was fun but I really wanted to plant my roots in Freiburg and not always be on the move. I had to remember the biggest reason I was there: to learn German, and this program REALLY helped with that. I took 5 classes all taught in German. At first I was nervous that I wouldn't understand everything and struggle. But the teachers are super helpful and I was able to learn rapidly in an environment like Germany. Outside of class there are many clubs, activities, free lectures, and so on, all over in Freiburg! IES Abroad provided many resources for such things and was always willing to help. I definitely took advantage of these resources and went to parties, lectures, dance events in the city.
My living experience was fantastic. I lived in a suite with four Germans and an Irish girl. We all spoke German to each other all the time, which made for a wonderful learning experience and great friendships.
Overall, this program is fantastic and I would do it all over again.

Studying abroad in Freiburg was my first time traveling to Europe, and I must say, it didn't disappoint! I absolutely loved the city! It's a cute little college town in prime proximity to France, the Swiss Alps, and of course, the Black Forest.

The program itself is also exceptional, and offers a wide variety of professors, academics, and cultural opportunities! If you’re interested in the environment, then the IES environmental studies program is specially tailored towards giving you the opportunity to experience sustainability though many different perspectives. I learned about renewable technologies and urban studies, which were fields I wouldn’t have had the time or availability to try at my home institution. The classes are also set up into 3-week crash course modules, which means that you have a lot of free time during the day to enjoy swimming, hiking, or just wandering around the city.

Safety wise, I didn’t have any problems; the IES staff was great about being available 24/7 and took their role seriously about helping you get settled in. The housing provided by the program is also unique because you get placed into university owned apartments shared with other German university students and you are not housed together as a program. Of course, there are also other housing options available like apartment singles, but that was just my experience, and I found that it was a great way to make friends and to also practice my German.

Overall, I really enjoyed the program and would recommend anyone on the fence for studying abroad to definitely go for it! If you happen to like the environment, then I would also suggest this program. Living and learning in another culture is really an eye-opening experience, and I will always remember the great times I had in Freiburg!

IES Abroad Program is a very well-organized program that offers student great opportunity to gain a global perspective on everything. It is a very well-organized program that offers student great opportunity to gain a global perspective on everything. A lot of international engagement opportunities ware offered and the program site was very well chosen to allow students to have the best experience possible. The IES center stuff was very friendly and helpful. The classes were mostly focused on getting students to learn instead of sending out hard course materials.

My German improved a lot and I had a deeper understanding of German culture. The German and American friends I get to know and the memories I had with them will be the wealth of my life. It is an experience everyone worth to have!

My time in Freiburg Germany over the summer of 2018 was one of the best experiences I have had. The IES program is extremely organized and the classes I attended were so interesting. The information I learned in these classes was not only relevant to my major, but I have been able to use the information I learned and apply it to classes I am currently enrolled in at Indiana University. Beside having a great class experience, other aspects of the program such as my living situation and the friends I have met all made my experience that much more special. You will not regret studying abroad and while it can be intimidating, if you have the opportunity to go abroad I would highly recommend you do.

I chose to live in a communal apartment where I shared my common living space with other German students. I was intimidated at first because I did not know any German and was afraid there would be a major language barrier, but my roommates proved to not only be nice, but people who made me feel very welcome. A few nights throughout my time in Germany, my roommates made me traditional German meals. It was such a fun experience to not only cook a variety of different foods but sit and talk to my roommates and learn more about their culture as they learned more about mine.

Because my program was during the summer it was a much smaller program than a normal semester one. I really enjoyed the small size of my program as I was able to make friends with everyone I attended class with. I lived in the same complex with five people from my program and the rest were located in two different locations. We all really enjoyed spending time together so even though we did not live in the same building we all still found ways to spend time together and explore the city. Freiburg is an extremely easy city to navigate and so most nights were spent either doing homework or hanging out with my classmates at a nice restaurant or park. Since leaving the program I have stayed in touch with many of my friends and we are planning on getting together over break this year.

Studying abroad is an experience unlike any other because it not only allows you to understand a different culture from your own, you meet new people, and are encouraged every day to step out of your comfort zone and experience the world around you. I had an amazing time while in Freiburg and hope to go back one day. The city is not only beautiful, but full of history. Walking to class everyday was always enjoyable, and the food and places to go out were very unique. I highly recommend this program because I know it will not disappoint.

I am truly grateful for my experience with IES European Union. After years of lecture-based learning, I was thrilled to finally experience something new. My program incorporated travel to several European Union countries, which exposed the students to a wide array of languages and cultures. I was able to live with German roommates, which provided me with such an immersive experience to the German lifestyle. The program taught me, and other students alike, to be independent, adaptable, knowledgable and culturally aware both through travel, and living independently in a new city. Learning occurred outside the classroom in the most spectacular ways, and I am so happy I was able to receive this experience.

The EU program is an amazing experience for those interested in politics, international relations, econ, and business. All the classes I took were engaging and the professors truly cared about the students. Traveling to so many EU member states really enhances the classroom learning experience because we are able to have meetings with government officials and other key players that have built their careers on European politics. It is also such a great cost for the amount of travel included in the program. However, it is important to note that while those trips are really great, they are academic in nature, so there is not a whole lot of free time to do touristy things. Additionally, Freiburg is a beautiful small city that is great to come back home to after the week-long trips. Due to the traveling, I did not get as immersed in the Freiburg culture as I would've liked, but I lived with local university students which was a good experience

The EU program was excellent !

I learned so much about International and specifically European Politics and Government structures, that I had no idea about before. We also got an in depth understanding of the European Union and how it relates to the United States as well. '

I loved living in Freiburg. I am so happy with my decision to study abroad there. The people, the nature and landscapes, the opportunities to have fun, and places to eat were more then I could have ever asked for.

I also loved all the traveling that we did in our program. I got to see so many different countries and learn about each country from actual locals and politicians and professors. You can't beat getting that knowledge, it is something I would never be able to learn had I visited these countries without the IES EU program. I love traveling , but learning in depth about what actually is happening in that particular country makes it much more memorable. IES EU was a great balance of engaging academics, and still gave us enough freedom to travel and have fun.

I made videos/vlogs throughout my entire study abroad experience. Check them out at the IES EU youtube channel or on the student blog pages on their website. I talk about my first week, traveling to germany, orientation, and a lot of info on our excursions.