IES Abroad Granada

When I first decided to go to IES Abroad Granada, I had no idea how it would go. I had never been to Europe before, and no other student from my program or person I knew from different colleges would be attending. It had always been a dream of mine to visit Europe, but I never expected to study abroad. When I first arrived, I immediately made friends that would last well beyond the conclusion of our program. While in Spain, I visited incredible places with my program: Sevilla, Córdoba, and Morocco; simultaneously, I traveled with the friends I made to Barcelona, Milan, and London. I learned about Islamic History and European Union Politics and expanded my knowledge of the Spanish language. I assimilated into the cultural norms of eating late, playing soccer, and going out with friends from the program and locals. I loved every minute of my experience and cannot stress enough how great it was to spend a semester in Granada, Spain.

I loved my study abroad experience with IES. The faculty and staff at the program center were incredibly supporting and friendly, and I had a great experience with my homestay as well. I took classes at IES and at the local university, and received personalized attention and support from professors in both programs. Having access to the mountains and ocean within a short bus ride was incredible, and I loved wandering around the city, exploring different bars, museums, and clubs, and even taking a dance class.

I loved my time in Granada with IES Abroad! The IES programme staff were so welcoming and supportive in all aspects. I feel like they really understood the challenges that can come with study abroad and were well-equipped to address them and help us deal with them. At one point I contracted COVID-19 and struggled a little with my mental health; IES immediately organised for me to visit a mental health specialist and continually checked up on me to ensure I was okay. I felt safe and happy with them!

My trip to Granada through IES Abroad was the time of my life. Although it was cut short, I am so blessed to have had the experiences I did. The staff did wonderful working students through the cultural immersion and showing us the true story of Granada. Almost all of my classes took days on the town, visiting different locations and discussing their significance. The trip also tied the material into the visits we took, going to Sevilla to study the Cathedral and Christianity in Spain, Morocco to study the Arabic culture and its influence on Granada, and Córdoba to study the mosque. Everyone wants you to have an incredible time - and will work to make sure you do!

I studied abroad this Fall with IES Abroad in Granada and loved every second of it! I was nervous to study abroad and the IES staff was very supportive and helped ease the stress of being in a new country. We spent a lot of time with the staff and I found they genuinely cared about getting to know each one of us. Granada was an amazing location as well. Not too big of a city, or too small and was super affordable and there was a ton to do as well. The classes I took were unique and engaging and I learned a ton while also improving my Spanish. I would 100% recommend studying abroad in Spain with IES and I hope you have as wonderful of an experience as I did abroad! As basic as it sounds, it will change your life!

Granada is one of the best cities to travel around by yourself. If you are ever bored on a Sunday, take a stroll down the river and pass people biking, skateboarding, and running. It is a lively community that feels welcoming to even those of us who come from across the pond. I lived and loved every aspect of the small-city charm that Granada gives you and am already planning my next trip to hike above the Alhambra on my next visit, only this time I hope that I can share my experience with more of my family and friends!

Everything about my experience in Granada was magical. From the compassionate center staff to the rigorous yet not overbearing course load, I couldn't have asked for a better program. A walk through Granada feels like a walk back in time to the Moorish days. There always seemed to be more to discover around every corner and the history and architecture never failed to take my breath away. In the fall all of my classes were in Spanish, but I did have the opportunity to take two classes in English in the spring. They were all very interesting and geared towards the experience in Granada. No class at my home university would have been as fulfilling because a key component would have been different - the location. If you go to Granada with IES, I wholeheartedly recommend living with a host family. There is no better way to truly immerse yourself in the culture and language. Not to mention, no one cooks as well as a Spanish señora (sorry mom!).

Living in the Colegio Mayor Santa Fe provided me with a once in a lifetime look into spanish culture and day to day life. At first I was intimidated by the prospect of living with 70+ 18-22 year old spanish girls who don't speak English or know much about American culture. I was shocked and happy to find them accepting, generous, curious, and funny girls who loved having us there. Living in the middle of my two best friends that I met through the program was another plus! Besides being able to interact with local students, I was really able to interact with the history of the city. Imagine walking down a grand staircase that has probably been around for more than 100 years to a dining room with two long tables. At least 15 girls are all seated in the same area as we receive paella, pasta, or cocido to name a few meals. They ask about your day and fill you into what is new in their lives. On Saturdays we eat outside in the courtyard if the weather was nice while the cooks would chat with everyone and crack jokes. One of my favorite memories was playing on the basketball team which added girls from a different colegio to the team giving me a chance to meet new girls and see what life is like at another colegio. On the final game before christmas break we played against one of the hardest teams we played that season. Our supporters came in droves. We had girls cheering us on and tutoras, or RAs, supporting and being there for us for the biggest win of the season! Overall, living in the Colegio helped me exceed my study abroad cultural and linguistic expectations as it allowed me to interact with girls my own age and learn new words, popular songs, and traditions. I will never forget their kindness and generosity to me, and the memories that I will share with them.