An Unforgettable Experience!

This experience really sparked my interest for traveling and taught me so much about how international health care and human rights is viewed. I got hands on experience in the medical field in Jamaica, I was able to travel all over Europe for a very affordable price, and I got to volunteer with CLAPA. IES really catered to my interest and helped me to develop and mature on a professional, academic, and personal level. I learned so much about culture and identity in a place that I thought would be very similar to the United States. These experiences made it more than worthwhile! This was a life changing experience that has inspired me to keep traveling and possibly even change my career goals to something that will allow me to travel abroad.
The IES program was so supportive and they really worked hard to create an inclusive living and learning environment. While there were some small things that could be improved, the people were really what made the program the best experience of my life.

Academic
Overall the courses were interesting and challenging. The administration and professors were very supportive and engaging. However, the program was not able to offer the Oxford class at the last minute so I ended up taking classes at City University of London. This turned out to be just around the corner from my housing assignment and the course included some very interesting aspects. I really ended up enjoying this course and it allowed me to have Friday off to travel.

Support
The administration was very supportive in making sure I was acclimated to living abroad. They constantly kept in touch and responded to emails quickly. They made sure we met up for dinner or tea a couple times during the semester and they also hosted clubs and events around town. They were also very supportive if I wasn't feeling well. Luckily, I did not have any major health issues, but my roommate did and from my perspective, the administration was very helpful. The administrator that lived in our building took her to the hospital and stayed with her until she got home. At one point, I caught a small cold and an administrator offered to make a doctor appointment for me and to go with me, but I was able to easily take care of it with cold medication from the pharmacist.

Housing
The apartment I lived in was right in the heart of London. It was the ideal location for getting around the city by tube or walking. The housing had all the amenities and I always felt safe there. The roommate situation was not ideal because I am so used to living on my own, however it was a great way to make friends and I learned a lot about myself. I had a great view of the city from my room and the program made sure I had everything I needed, and if I didn't there was a shopping tour on the first day that helped me to get everything.

Safety
During orientation, there was a briefing on safety by a police officer who told us about the most common crimes and how to avoid being a target. This was very useful because it made me more aware of my actions and it gave me more information on who to contact if something did go wrong. Also, one of the administrators lived in the same apartment complex me, so there was always someone available. While I was in London, there were a few small bombings including one on the tube and violent protests, but the program has a very specific and strict protocol for locating each person and ensuring our safety and they communicated with my parents that I was safe. In Jamaica, we were chaperoned everywhere and I felt very safe because one of our professors/chaperones is a native Jamaican.