IES Abroad London – Study London

IES provided me with one of the greatest opportunities of my life. Studying abroad allowed me to experience so many different places and cultures, while also continuing my studies. Aside from the program feeding my travel bug, I was able to meet so many new people, some that I now consider my very best friends! I cannot recommend IES abroad enough!

As someone who had not traveled overseas by myself before, the IES Abroad administration was very responsive and helpful in preparing all the pre-departure items. I felt like I wasn't missing anything and that I wouldn't anticipate any challenges because of the webinars, documents, and meetings we had in order to ensure a smooth arrival in London. The program directors housed every student in the program together, so we were able to bond with each other, which was extremely helpful. I really enjoyed my time in London, and I would definitely do it again if I could!

I had a wonderful time! I took classes including Media & UK Politics, Theatre in London, and International and European Health and Human Rights! My classes were just the right balance of engaging but not too challenging. I had a wonderful time exploring the city and gained lots of confidence in myself. I was able to live in a flat with other students and really enjoyed having my own room but being able to hang out with my friends in the common kitchen/living area. The flat was in an excellent location, with a tube station, three grocery stores, and a Starbucks all on the very same street! If you are thinking about going abroad, now is the time to take that plunge! It will at times be stressful as you navigate living in a new country, but it is absolutely worth it.

My experience abroad was academically and culturally eye-opening. The environment was more than iconic, seeing the sights I only dreamed about like Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and more, but allowed me to flourish and see the more personal (iconic) places that make England even better. IES Abroad made my transition abroad more than comfortable. The program provided housing that made was safe, clean, and well maintained. Every town had its own culture and history, which was why having our housing a bit farther from downtown London was a wonderful change. IES Abroad also gave us the opportunity to travel with organized field trips to towns that I may not have taken the time to learn about before. The academic setting of my program was one of the most well-organized, interactive, and diverse making me enjoy splitting time between exploring my new home and going to class. After my program, I gained a new cultural perspective on England, made so many new friends from around the world, and was able to fully immerse myself in just a little part of Europe. This program allowed me to start to get my feet wet in traveling and I cannot wait to continue to expand my cultural interactions even further.

Photos

I had so much fun these past couple months with the IES Abroad Study London program. Although the program wasn't as big this semester due to COVID, it opened up the opportunity for the students in a smaller group to get to know each other better. The staff at IES Abroad provided students with engaging field trips every Friday and other activities during the week (such as yoga classes and a trip to Kew Gardens). The only thing I would change is having more options for our student living. I really liked the Stay Club Kentish Town building, however the area of Kentish Town is still a little run down. It is also kind of far from the happenings of the city. Hopefully the other students in the later terms will be able to have more options for living (maybe this was our only option because of COVID). I also thought signing up for classes was a little confusing and stressful just because it takes a bit for the staff on the London team to respond to emails when some things are time sensitive. Overall, the staff at IES London was very attentive and helpful and the classes at IES were always engaging. They have a great lineup of professors that really care about the students and want them to do well. I will definitely be sad to leave here considering all the people I have met and all the memories made!! I feel like I've explored London to the fullest extent. Thank you IES for a great experience and a successful bounce back from stressful COVID times.

I absolutely loved my time in the IES Study London program. We had a large group of students from so many different universities in the United States so we were able to make friends from all over the country with all different majors, life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, passions, etc. On top of that amazing aspect, we were in the hub of London and I personally stayed right up the street from Kings Cross Station at Chapter Kings Cross which I would recommend 10 out of 10 times to anyone doing this program. You could choose to take a quick tube ride to the IES Center (where classes were) or it was also an easy walk through some cute areas of London. I personally chose the walking route because that was more reliable in terms of time, plus I got to see the most adorable little streets. I have made some amazing friends through this program and I only got two months and had to leave somewhat abruptly due to COVID-19 shutting down the world. I wouldn't trade this experience or program for the world and mean it in the most sincere way that you should do IES Study London. From the super helpful staff to the amazing classes and professors and everything thing in between, DO IT and DO IT NOW!

When I was applying to colleges, I remember telling anyone who would listen that I would under no circumstances live in a big city. Needless to say, when I announced to my friends and family that I would be living in London for nearly 5 months during my sophomore year, everyone had their doubts. I chose this experience for two reasons - first, to step out of my comfort zone and second, to immerse myself in the birthplace of some of my favorite authors. Both of those goals were met and the ensuing experience was life-changing. The IES staff met us at our apartment buildings and we immediately began to feel welcome in the city. Even though London is so large and teeming with life, the community atmosphere at our IES center in Holborn made the city feel less daunting. I would recommend IES London to anyone, especially if you have never considered living in a city before.

IES made it so I could travel abroad and experience a new culture. It was so much fun to experience London through sightseeing and living in the city. I got to see all the major sights and experience a few that weren't so common, while also interning at a really cool British company and take classes. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything!

I did not know what to expect when going the London with IES. However, I am so happy that my school's Study London program was cancelled. Being able to go abroad with IES provided me with once in a lifetime experiences. With the program, I was able to meet and make new friends from different colleges around the US, expand my professional career with an internship, travel to different areas of the country and overall showed me so much of what London had to offer. The staff were helpful, the accommodations were amazing, and I can now saw that I feed reindeer in the highlands of Scotland. If you have the opportunity to go to London with IES, do it!

I loved this experience! There's no hand-holding, but plenty of opportunity, so you can live in London on your own terms with your own interests. The staff and faculty were great with recommendations and guidance, but we were also made to navigate the public transportation from a very early stage in our first week and it was clear we were responsible for ourselves. I loved how much freedom I had, and IES events and trips were very well planned and executed. I loved my time there because it did feel like I was living and studying in a city, not just sheltered on a campus that happened to be in one.

Studying abroad in London was one of the best decisions of my life. IES provided a great living location that made it easy and quick to get around London. All of the IES staff were welcoming from the moment we arrived and were always trying to make our experience abroad more enjoyable. IES provided multiple planned trips to other cities and towns around England that gave us more opportunities to travel and meet other students in our program. I enjoyed every one of my classes I took at our program's center. I was able to explore parts of London through my classes on a daily basis which helped make the classes and learning more enjoyable. My time abroad was one of the best experiences and I am happy to say that I am still connected with the the friends I made in London.

Photos

Deciding to study abroad was one of the biggest decisions I had to make. Ultimately, it turned out to be an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to live right in the heart of London where I walked to big ben at least twice a week. The IES London Center was in a great location and was tiny enough for me to really have a close connection with the professors. The staff was also really great and would always keep up with my blogs for the school that I wrote.

My semester abroad was my first time out of the country. I was extremely nervous, mainly because I did not know what to expect. But the IES program was insanely helpful on both the American and English sides of the Atlantic, answering questions and working endlessly to do everything in their power to ensure I would have the best experience. One of the most notable aspects of IES Study London is the accommodation. The apartment is incredibly nice and so central. Great location and great quality. I took four of my five courses at IES and then took one course at SOAS, a UK university. This gave me a great balance between immersion and comfort, as the UK university system is extremely different from American and was very jarring for students who directly enrolled.

I loved my experience with IES London! The program staff are outstanding and very organized and willing to help. We lived in a student residence near Kings Cross station, which is ideally situated and well-connected. Our IES center was a 25 minute walk from our residence, so getting to class was easy even on days I didn't want to deal with public transport (most days). London is a busy city FULL of things to do. If you want to have opportunities to explore independently all the time, this is the place for you! I also took a class at City University, which is a great option for students who want a bit more cultural immersion and are willing to try the British university system.

Studying abroad with IES in London, England was the best decision of my young adult life that I have made thus far. Until this experience, I had never been to another continent before or lived for a long period of time further than 30 minutes away from where I grew up. IES London helped me get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself on the other side of the world. I learned so much about organization, time management, stress management, and taking in every opportunity that life has to offer. My classes only met once a week, but I was always excited to go to them because it was a different and new experience than what I had back home. I had the opportunity to learn from professors who grew up and lived in London and they shared experiences and secrets of the city that I never would have heard of otherwise. I made lifelong friendships in just one semester and I will take the memories I made with me wherever I go for the rest of my life. The staff was so helpful in every way and never made us feel like we were alone. I knew I always had someone looking out for me in London and making sure that I was safe and still having the best time London had to offer. Studying abroad truly changed the way I look at the world and has sparked an interest in me to see everything the world has to offer. IES Abroad helped me live out dreams that I didn't even know I was dreaming.

IES London exceeded my expectations! It was very a different experience than the IES Nantes program in that the London program facilitates a lot of independence and socializing with other students and places less emphasis on cultural immersion. It is a wonderful program for anyone looking for a fun, urban living situation full of opportunities to see and do A LOT. The staff at IES London went above and beyond, and they were always accessible and friendly. IES is consistently one of the most organized program providers out there! My housing situation (Chapter Kings Cross) was quite modern and nice, though the rooms were small. Overall, IES London is a great pick.

My semester with IES Abroad in London was incredible. In addition to being extremely organized, IES provided many opportunities for us to explore all London and England had to offer. Lifelong friends were made, pictures were saved and adventure was had by all. There was not a moment of any day that I was not grateful for being in London with IES. All the professors were engaging and fascinating to listen to. There are not enough words for me to describe how much I enjoyed my time overseas. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I grew so much as a student and a person on this trip and I owe a lot of that to the support of IES. Go! Don't miss out on your best semester of college! I know this will always be my favorite semester!

London is an amazing city to study abroad in because it promotes a two-tiered level of independence. As one of the international capitals of the world, London is absolutely massive. Therefore during my study abroad experience, I was faced with living and navigating a big city for the first in addition to learning about a different culture. The IES staff was really helpful in making me feel confident that I could master not only a new city, but a big one as well. They did a really great job of balancing the guidance the firs few days in London (i.e. applying for an Oyster Card, which you need to ride the tube, finding a cellphone provider etc.) and letting you experience the city for yourself during the rest of the semester. One of the best pieces of advice I got during my time abroad came from an IES staff member during the first week of the program. “Don’t be afraid to get lost,” he said, “because that is the best learn about the city and learn even more about yourself.” By the end of the program I had mastered the tube, was able to walk around the different neighborhoods and feel completely like a local. IES truly promoted that sense of independence. IES also allows you to take classes at either City University or Queen Mary. I took a class a Queen Mary and absolutely loved it. Being in a British classroom was such a unique experience and it allowed me to meet British students my age. IES did a really great of making sure there were plenty of opportunities to mix with local students. For example, IES encouraged us to join Student Central, which hosted things like mixers for students from all different universities. I fell in love with London after being on IES abroad and hope to live or work there after I graduate.

My study abroad experience in London was better than I could have imagined going in. The IES Study London program offered a good balance of structure as well as freedom to let the experience be shaped by each student. Through this program I was placed in an awesome internship, took classes from professors who were experts in their fields as well as genuinely great people, and went on some incredible trips organized by IES such as an excursion to Scotland where we got to feed reindeer. The staff in the IES London program are all incredibly nice and welcoming and provided so much support throughout my four months abroad.

Photos

I'll be honest, it's hard to sum up my study abroad experience into just a few words. I had an incredible time abroad, and thought IES was fantastic. They're there for you from the moment you apply, until your grades transfer to your home institution. The academics were challenging, but valuable. Each class is once a week for 2.5 hours. It's a little though to sit through toward the end, but the courses and instructors are so interesting nobody minds putting in the work. The housing was satisfactory, although the communal kitchen would become sub par in regards to cleanliness. The dorms were small, but definitely big enough to hold abroad students with a limited number of belongings. I can't imagine studying abroad in any other city. I always found myself doing and seeing something new. I frequently visited museums, which are free, and enjoyed seeing West End shows with friends. Transportation is also notably easy. There is a tube within a few blocks, no matter where you are.