Academic experience: Classes were small (5-9 students) and many were discussion based. All of the professors were British and focused on helping us to understand their culture along with the course subjects. There are some especially great professors

who went out of their way to make our experience as fulfilling as possible. One of my theatre professors took us to many extra shows, brought professionals into the classroom, and took us to a homeless centre to work on Shakespeare with the homeless. Social experience: IES allows for a lot of time to explore London and provides a lot of information about British culture and how to fit in. A British IES student leader gave us tips on where to meet people, which pubs are friendly, and where to see live bands. The internship program also allows students to integrate themselves into the culture and make connections with Brits in the work force. Housing: Nido is a fairly new building and looks very modern. The rooms are teeny tiny, you share a sleeping space and teeny bathroom, but that is how almost all accommodations are in London. Each floor has a communal kitchen, there is a movie screening room, a café where you can get pre-made sandwiches or pasta, a wii, and an expensive laundry room. Each room comes with pots, pans, dishes, and cutlery and it was easy, so it was easy to make food in the kitchen. There is an Italian restaurant built into the dorm, but it is expensive and there is no student discount. The staff was less than helpful, but I didn't have to deal with them too often. The locations is the best part of Nido Kings Cross. Kings Cross stations has a lot of tube lines and is fairly central. On the tube it takes 10 minutes to get to class, 15 minutes to get to the west end, and usually no more than 35 minutes to get anywhere in the first 2 zones. I was a 6 minute walk from Kings cross, a 20 minute walk to school and the British Museum, a 15 minute walk to the British Library. The area used to be really run down and sleazy, but it's becoming a kind of artsy area and is really close to a cute neighborhood with a lot of good pubs, food and shopping called Angel. I had a great experience and I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in theater.