IES Abroad Dublin

From the moment I walked through arrivals at the airport the staff of IES was completely supportive and comforting. Going to a new country that you will be staying in for an extended period of time is likely to cause some nerves, but the staff did everything they could to replace those nerves with excitement. Staff was waiting for arrivals from flights right outside of the gate and escorted us to taxis with our fellow students. We then would have an orientation that would explain everything from the bus system to what "craic" means. From the first day up until the last they helped us with everything we came to them for, from flights for weekend excursions to which spots in the city to visit. The professors I had in this program are among some of the best I have had in my entire college career. When our program was over, saying goodbye to the staff of the center was just as sad as saying goodbye to the city we had grown to love.

Studying abroad in Dublin was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I made so many good friends and I learned a lot about Ireland and the people. I learned to be more outgoing and I became more independent. Before going on this trip, I had never been on my own before. It was hard at first, but after a while there was a sense of freedom. I was no longer waiting for others to join me on my adventures, because I was okay just doing it on my own. I was not restricted to someone else's schedule and I did not have to compromise about the destination of my next adventure. I also did some traveling with the friends that i made, because sometimes it's just nice to share these moments with other people. Now that I'm home, I miss the people and I also miss Ireland. I cannot wait to go back and visit the lovely staff at the center.

I studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland this past summer. My program was very well organized all the way through the application process, pre-depature information, housing assignments, class scheduling and all the numerous informational sessions and adjustment activities upon arrival. Being both my first time out of the country as well as my first time traveling alone, I was immediately welcomed in the airport after my long, anxiety-filled flight with a friendly hello and warm smiles, regardless of it being nearly 6 am in the morning. The staff was very friendly and eager to help us have the best abroad experience possible. They were always willing to offer advice whether it be which restaurant to have a delicious brunch or places to stay on weekend excursions. My housing accommodations were lovely, clean, and quite modern, placing me and my roommates right in the heart of the city. I will admit I was quite nervous about sharing an apartment with strangers while also being miles and miles away from home, but I could not have asked for a better outcome. Our personalities meshed so well immediately and I now have three amazing girls as well as many other peers on my program from around the US that I can genuinely call friends and basically family. We shared so much together and will always have shared memories from our time there. Classes were very interesting and helped immerse us by providing a background on the culture. Our professors were so kind and had a genuine interest in not only teaching us about their culture but also getting to know a lot about us students as well. My program also included optional field trips to beautiful places in the country for a very reasonable price which I would highly recommend. Overall, I wouldn't change a thing about my summer abroad with IES. All of this in addition to the gorgeous green setting of Ireland was a surreal experience. The memories, friendships, and experiences I gained will last a life time.

I was extremely nervous about studying abroad, since this was my first time out of the country. Many of my friends and family told me that adjusting to a different country may take weeks. Fortunately, that was not my case. When I arrived in Dublin, I was greeted by two IES Abroad staff at the airport. They were able to answer all of my questions and sorted me into my apartment with ease. I quickly bonded with my 4 other roommates in Dublin and with other students in the Irish Studies program and Acting program. The first couple of days in Dublin was a lot to take in. IES gave the students many informative presentations on Dublin and adjusting abroad, which were extremely helpful. IES also hosted a couple events at restaurants and pubs, which helped the students interact with each other. I took Irish History and Celtic Mythology, which were both interesting and fun classes. Both of my instructors were very informative and helpful throughout the program. Over the course of the summer I had the opportunity to travel around the majority of Ireland. One of those trips were provided through IES, which was the Northern Ireland trip. I was hesitant to go on this trip since it was optional and cost a little extra money, but I did not regret it as this trip was one of the highlights of my time abroad. If you're deciding on whether or not to go on the Northern Ireland trip, GO! You will not regret it. The staff at the center in Dublin were very easy to talk to and were able to help me out whenever it was needed.

I was the person going into college who said I would never study abroad. My junior year of college I decided I really wanted to travel and I decided the best outlet of doing so would be to study abroad. However, studying in Ireland with IES Abroad shattered all of my expectations. Studying abroad was no longer purely an outlet to travel, it was an experience all of its own. It included academic, social, and personal growth that I never could have achieved without studying abroad. I lived in Rathmines, Dublin and absolutely loved it. It was a close walk to the city center and it had the Irish charm I was looking for. The classes were amazing and I truly learned not only about Irish history, but also about Irish Culture as a whole. The professors were incredible and all had a genuine interest in their students and would go out of their way to help us with classes and acclimating to being abroad. The entire staff would make sure we were comfortable and safe. They also planned some incredible trips that help me see Ireland more and to get to know my classmates better as well. My classmates also became more of a family than just classmates. My classmates made my trip so amazing and helped make the transition easier. I was afraid that being so far away from friends and family would overwhelm me, but I honestly forgot that I was so far away because of all of the welcoming staff and people in the program. I am now a senior so before studying abroad I was getting very anxious about having to potentially move away in a year for a job. Studying abroad helped me realize that trying something new doesn't have to be a scary experience, and that there are amazing opportunities everywhere, you just have to be brave enough to go find them. I couldn't have asked for a better six weeks with IES, and if I could change anything about my experience it would be to have more time in Dublin!

The summer of 2016 in Dublin was incredible. On this journey, I fell in love with Ireland in every possible way - its people, culture, food, and beautiful landscape. IES Abroad provided me with the opportunity to explore new places, as well as appreciate new cultures and ways of life. I would highly recommend studying abroad through IES Dublin. The staff is incredibly helpful, filled with kind and compassionate people. They were always offering to help – whether that be with academics or weekend travel plans. The classes kept me engaged and the professors were absolutely amazing.

I can honestly say that I have no regrets from this summer! I simply wish I had more time. There is so much to see, explore, and love. The people of Ireland are charming, caring, and diverse. The food is delicious and the views are so stunning that you will be left speechless! If you decide to study through IES in Dublin, it will be one of the best decisions of your life and you will gain so much from the experience. I can certainly say that is the case for me!

My summer spent in Dublin was one of the best experiences of my life, thanks to IES. The classes that I took, History of Ireland and Celtic Mythology, were both excellent. While I was technically there to study, IES made sure that I had fun as well, providing several fun field trips to help us get to know our program peers and learn about the culture of Ireland. My personal favorite was the weekend field trip to Northern Ireland. My accommodations were also very nice and centrally located, and the staff on hand was super nice and very helpful with any problems I had. Dublin is an incredible city, and this program was a great way to experience it. I wish I could do it all over again!

The IES Summer Intensive Acting program in Dublin was jam packed with a variety of cultural experiences and a strong academic program.

After my first class, which was directly through IES, we enrolled in the Gaiety School of Acting with students who had directly enrolled, not through IES, and I got a comparison and realized how good we had by going through IES. We got well planned, affordable, educational, and fun field trips (the one to Northern Ireland is a must! Learned so much about Ireland's history including the Troubles and St. Patrick, and visited the Bushmill Whiskey factory and Game of Throne's Winterfell) that were easy to sign up and conveniently added to our bill, not paid upfront. We got great housing in beautiful neighborhoods despite Dublin's housing crisis, while the GSA direct-enrolled students had to stay in an unfortunately low quality hostel, 6 to a room, for the entire 4 weeks. I will say, the distance of our housing from the IES center and the GSA was inconvenient, and we had some maintenance issues that took longer than I'd like to get fixed, but our RA was a great resource. We had Conor, who's actually a jobbing actor, so a great role model-- watch out for him in the Jameson factory tour video!

The classes themselves were very educational, and I really enjoyed experiencing and working with so much Irish theatre. While technique and methods weren't overly emphasized, the intense rehearsals and constant viewing of theater outside of class was a great experience. I was able to get credit for an acting class through my university!