IES Abroad London

I studied in London in the Fall of 2016, where I enrolled in 15 credit hours of courses and worked about 16 hours a week for my internship. The IES program gives you the option to choose from some really interesting classes that you wouldn’t normally take at your home school – I chose to take a film production course while some of my friends chose architecture or theater courses. The internship program is amazing as well because IES will put you directly in contact with businesses and organizations that fit your interests and career goals. My internship experience matched my interests perfectly and helped me to grow my business and cross-cultural communication skills.

If I were to do it all over again, I would still choose London – hands down. In my personal opinion, London is the best city to study abroad in and the IES program provides you with incredible experiences and plenty of opportunities. Students get to live right by Kings Cross station, from where you can get virtually anywhere throughout London – and promise me, you will never run out of things to do in London! Ask the IES advisors or professors if you want some recommendations. Due to the way university is organized in the UK (the bulk of your projects and exams are towards the end of the semester) I felt that I had plenty of free time during the semester explore the entire city of London, and to travel around the UK and to other countries in Europe. If traveling is important to you, keep this in mind! The only downside to this program is that it’s difficult to befriend locals because you are living and taking classes with your fellow American IES students.

As a health policy and administration major, I was very excited to see that there was a program that aligned with my academic goals. To begin with, he IES staff were absolutely incredible. As someone who has an ongoing medical condition, they were always extremely helpful in helping me find doctors and working through all of that kind of stuff. The living accommodation is smaller than traditional American style dorms, but it has everything you need. I also would recommend on going on any of the field trips that IES provides. It is very organized and takes a lot of the stress off that comes with planning a trip.

Academically, being able to learn about public health in London was an absolutely incredible experience and I loved hearing the perspectives from my professors. Living in the city of London is amazing. You are very centrally located and there is always so much to do- no matter what your interests are.

This program also gives you the opportunity to take a class at Oxford. While you do have to catch a very early train, and spend most of your day Friday in class and traveling to and from Oxford, which limits your ability to travel some weekends, it was definitely worth it! I really improved my writing and critical thinking skills. The Oxford class also doesn't start until a few weeks into the program so you still will have the opportunity to travel and I was still able to find time to travel after I got home from Oxford on Friday.

Another unique element of this program is that you have the opportunity to participate in a service learning. I was able to volunteer at a cancer support center, which was a very valuable experience to me.

The best part of the study abroad experience was the trip to Jamaica. We got to observe in clinics around Jamaica and also got to see a lot of the country. We were able to go to Blue Lagoon, the Blue Mountains and a few local beaches. We also attended lectures at the University of the West Indies. Even though before going to Jamaica, nobody was ready to leave London by the end everyone really enjoyed the trip to Jamaica and found it worth while.

Overall, I would recommend this study abroad program to anyone who is interested in public health!

London, my choice city, is anything but ordinary. Walking on the popular Holborn street in London where I took most of my classes I heard just about every language except English, an indication of diverse cultures. While I was there I visited many cities on weekends including Cambridge, Brighton, Liverpool, Stonehenge, Stratford Upon Avon and Canterbury, thanks to the IES staff who organized these well planned trips on weekends. The courses that I studied in London, including one at Oxford University, immersed me in the health care world of the United Kingdom (UK). A lot of the courses challenge you to find solutions of the modern day health problems, which are mainly Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs). My program also included a service learning section working with Healthwatch Tower Hamlets. This organization acts as a liaison between the National Health Service (NHS) and their clients. I was able to visit hospitals, clinics, day centers and mental clinics in London and to see the approach the U.K. takes in providing healthcare for its citizens.

The study abroad program included a 10 day trip to Jamaica. In Jamaica we were placed at the island’s leading tertiary institution, the University of the West Indies. The program included visits to health clinics in both rural and urban areas in the capital Kingston. This experience gave us first- hand experience in comparing and contrasting the health care services in both UK and Jamaica. Professionally, my study abroad experience has made me more diverse in my field as a Health Management major. Health is global and this experience exposed me to the different health care systems employed by European countries .

IES London is a well executed program. They have though of just about everything to make the students feel comfortable and excited about their study abroad experience. I stayed in a dorm style room with a random roommate, who luckily turned out to be a great friend, and a shared kitchen with the floor. The place was all up to date and a maid came to clean our rooms once a week. We were also located near the biggest tube station in London so getting places was very easy. The classes at IES were interesting and a lot of the times were not held in an actual class room. The instructors would take the class around the city to give us an in person view of the building or the exact spot where a monumental event happened. This brought the information alive and was far more engaging than reading about it in a book. I planned my class schedule to allow me to have a 4 day weekend, leaving a lot of free time to travel to different countries and to also explore the great city of London. The city has so much to offer you and you'll only regret it if you don’t go and see for yourself.

I had a phenomenal time during my study abroad experience in London the Summer of 2016, but I will not deny that the finances of the city made it tough at times. I spent most of my time in the city as it was only a six week course, while some of the other people on my program would spend every weekend traveling. At the end of the program, I was so in love with the city that I had come to understand, and I cannot wait to go back. This program in particular had great professors and fun trips outside of London, but it was easy to spend a lot of time with the other people on the program instead of meeting Londoners, which was mainly due to the fact that the classes were not with London students. Regardless, this is an awesome program and I had a really great time. Research all the different events happening in London before you go, get to know your professors and they will tell you about stuff you have to do while there, and befriend your roommate so you have a buddy who you can go on adventures with!

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to travel to England. I grew up on Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia, and I always loved British culture. In high school, I was determined that in college I would study abroad in London. Last summer my dreams came true when IES Abroad gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. Honestly, I had a lot of doubts about going overseas by myself for an entire summer. Would I get homesick? Would I make any friends? Would my classes be too hard or too boring? But IES made me feel at home in London and created the best experience possible for me.

The staff at IES London were absolutely incredible. They were always there to help us, give us tips and ideas, or even just to chat. There were so many trips and events for us to attend in our free time and I feel like the program really helped me make the most out of my time abroad. My classes were great, as well. The professors were knowledgeable and made the classes exciting. I learned so much and experienced the city in different ways through my classes. Although, there wasn't much of an opportunity to make local friends, I made a group of friends in my program that I wouldn't trade for anything. They absolutely made the experience the best it could possibly be. We spent so much time exploring and even just hanging out together, and we still keep in touch.

I know it sounds cliche, but I really do believe I grew as a person because of this experience. I gained a new sense of independence and a new viewpoint of the world. Without a doubt it was the best summer of my life and the best choice I have ever made to study abroad. No matter what you are studying or what doubts you have, study abroad sometime during your college career. You will not regret it. I loved my experience with IES Abroad and I miss that summer every day!

IES helped make summer 2016 unforgettable. After being accepted into the program they did everything they could to make us feel ready for our time in the UK. When I decided to study abroad one of the first things I was worried about was traveling internationally for the first time. The staff at IES provided multiple resources that made me feel very prepared. I felt comfortable flying to a new country, getting my passport stamped with immigration, and making my way to the residence hall. This great customer service continued after we arrived in London and throughout our program. Once we arrived in London, they provided a comprehensive training that included topics like health and safety in London, transportation, traveling on the weekends, and their academic policies.

Choosing to study abroad with IES was a great decision because they went above and beyond to teach you how to immerse yourself into London’s culture, and that was one of my main goals of studying abroad. Within hours of arriving in London they showed us the best places to eat, grocery shop, and how to use the transportation system in our neighborhood. They encouraged us to ride the tube, read the Evening Standard, and visit pubs and neighborhoods outside of tourist attractions. Oftentimes I visited the staff members after class and asked for restaurant suggestions or interesting activities to try on the weekend.

The academic program itself provided some of the most interesting classes I’ve taken in my college career. I had to opportunity to take a class on London Architecture and another on British censorship. Both of my instructors were very knowledgeable in their fields and the workload was perfect because it left time to explore London. I had one class per day Monday-Thursday and I would often plan activities before or after class. This schedule also allowed everyone on my program ample time to travel elsewhere.

I traveled to Paris and throughout the UK with students from my program. I also went on trips that IES planned and subsidized. These trips went to Stonehenge, Bath, Salisbury, and Brighton; I thought they were well done and enjoyed the guides that IES hired. My favorite trip was the one that toured Bath/Salisbury/Stonehenge over a weekend. This is mostly because my group was assigned a guide named Jeany. Jeany took us on a walking tour in each of these places, and she was hysterical and very well spoken. She had me so interested in the history and stories of these places I ended up doing research on my own time.

IES is a wonderful organization that aims to teach students about new cultures and living abroad, and you can see their passion in the excellent programs they provide. Highly recommend!

I spent 7 weeks in the heart of London this past summer (2016). The overall experience was absolutely fantastic. This past summer, many things were happening in London, and Europe overall, including the Brexit vote, and multiple terrorist attacks. While these things can be confusing or scary to anyone, I never questioned my safety. IES helped their students stay informed on everything happening in the city, and tips and tricks in order to avoid trouble. Studying in Europe allowed for quick weekend trips to wherever I could get my hands on a ticket. I traveled to Paris and Scotland, but many in my program went other places such as Spain, Ireland, Amsterdam, Germany, etc. I was enrolled in only 6 credit hours, two classes, and went to only one class a day Mon-Thurs. While the classes required work outside of the scheduled class time, I was left with more than enough time to explore London and see everything I had hoped to see. Overall, I would recommend 100% studying abroad, and also studying with IES. If I had more time on my clock as an undergrad I would study abroad again in a heartbeat.