I studied abroad in Granada this Fall with IES Abroad and loved every second of it! I was very nervous to go abroad, as I have never been out of the country before, and I found that the IES staff was super supportive with helping us adjust and feeling

comfortable in Spain. I loved the classes I took as well and they have by far been the most interesting classes I have taken so far throughout my college career. My Spanish also improved a ton from having to speak it the majority of my day too! The social life and food was also amazing and if you go, make sure you go out and eat all the tapas you can! Loved this program and I cannot recommend it enough. Going abroad changed my life and I hope you too take the leap to study abroad!

Going abroad with IES Granada was a wonderful experience. The orientation given at the beginning of the semester was comprehensive and prepared me for the transition to a new culture. Throughout the semester we were also provided with many activities

which allowed me to be better immersed in the culture Granada. Lastly, the option to take classes at the local university allowed me to improve my Spanish while also making good friends with lots of natives.

Granada gave me safe streets to walk by myself any day of the week and delicious pastry shops to stroll by on every corner. I was discovering a new hidden gem of a cafe or bar every weekend. It was exactly the place I needed to get to know better and

feel at home by the end of my four months. I'm already looking forward to returning to the cobblestone streets and views of the Alhambra as soon as I can.

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 journey back through times. There

always seemed to be more to discover around every corner. 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. 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!).

The IES Abroad Granada program was a fantastic experience. From the first day I felt at home -- my host mother was kind, welcoming, and made it clear that I was going to be her daughter for the next four months. She was a fantastic cook and paid very

close attention to what I liked or didn't like (which was very little!). I was nervous about living with someone I didn't know, but she made me feel so comfortable and at home that it was rarely, if ever, uncomfortable or awkward. The program was also very well done. Orientation prepared me well against any potential culture shock or confusion, and the trips to different areas of Spain made me feel that I knew the country beyond just the city of Granada. I loved almost all of my classes at IES--I had the opportunity to take classes that were not offered at my home institution and also gained a valuable perspective simply by learning from Spanish professors. I took a class on Mediterranean politics and learned an incredible amount about Spain and the EU and their interaction with Northern Africa via the Mediterranean.

My time in Granada was simply amazing. Everything in my environment was brand new, the sights, sounds, and even the smells. It was overwhelming at first, however, refreshing and invigorating too. I stayed with a host family and though speaking only in

Spanish was rough off the bat, as the weeks passed I quickly improved. I took a diverse group of classes in Spanish that allowed me to gain understanding of the local culture: Islamic Art, Flamenco, a literature class, and a Spanish language class. In the art class we visited various important sites such as the Great Mosque in Córdoba and a three-part specialized tour through the Alhambra. The program's trip to Morocco stands out as one of the experiences I'm most appreciative of. I spent four days in the country and stayed with a local family. The memories I made there are so vivid because I had never been anywhere remotely like it before. My time in Morocco was just a cherry on top of an amazing semester filled with beauty, wonder, and encounters with the other. I'm still in awe of all that happened during my time abroad that even now it's hard to process it all. I got to visit five different countries, spend time in sixteen different cities, and meet hundreds of new people. I played futbol with Spaniards and shared some great nights at the discotecas with my intercambio. One thing I can say for sure is that it was the most enriching four months of my life. By far. I'm really glad I did the IES program in Granada.

This is a really great program. It is still relatively your for a study abroad program, but they are making really great advancements every year. I am sure the future holds great things for them. A few things that people may find different is that the

IES Center is small, it is in an old fashioned, original building of Granada. The classes are small and almost all Americans, but the option to take classes at the local university is also available.