One great part of my experience so far is the cultural events that are set up for by IES Abroad, which I think have been largely underrated by my peers (though this is quickly changing). I’m not sponsored to say this, but these trips have been really awesome. For example, a few weekends ago, I was fortunate enough to go on the planned overnight excursion in Normandy. There was a solid waitlist for this trip, so I’m happy I was able to be there.
On the trip, IES Abroad provided me and around 40-50 other students with a few meals and a somewhat structured itinerary for the trip. It was awesome having some events, such as a massive brunch and the visit to the Normandy beaches, organized and paid for us, and then at the same time having some free time to explore on our own. I thought the staff did a fantastic job with that split. I won’t go into too much detail, but that trip was definitely one of the highlights of my semester abroad so far since I was able to get a combination of a good time with buddies outside of class and also get that cultural enrichment aspect that I’m looking for in France. I’m super grateful to IES Abroad for setting that up.
Some other smaller events that IES Abroad has organized that have made my time more exciting include a cheese tasting and the screening of a French movie, called The Count of Monte Cristo. The cheese tasting was at a high-quality, local restaurant that specializes in making different types of cheeses, so it was great being able to test out 10 different types of cheeses there. There was also one particular cheese made with truffle that was a completely new (and great) taste for me, which was awesome to experience.
Just a side note, one thing I’ve realized here is that cheese is a massive deal in France. Obviously, a lot of people love cheese in the States, but it really is treasured here and there are hundreds of different types from different regions in France to try. Ultimately, the cheese-tasting event was another great opportunity to spend some time with other IES Abroad students, learn about the history of different cheeses in France, and, last but not least, eat some delicious and high-quality cheeses.
About a month and a half into the program, there are a few remaining events that IES Abroad will be hosting or organizing for the students this semester, and I made sure to sign up for them as soon as possible. Just reflecting on some of the trips that I’ve been on with IES Abroad, I’m super happy that I took advantage of these events. At first, I was hesitant about signing up because I wasn’t sure how fun they would be. After all, they were being organized by the school. I knew I didn’t want to go on trips and just get lectured about the history of the town, for example, but I’ve continued to be pleasantly surprised with each trip that I go on.
I think that these fun excursions and cultural events demonstrate the mindset that many IES Abroad staff members have toward the semester. Obviously, the IES Abroad program exists for academics and classwork, but they also clearly want the students to have a good time while abroad. From speaking with a bunch of different staff members, many of them can recall how fun their study abroad experiences were, and I can tell that they try hard to recreate that for the students and make our lives as easy as possible, which I really appreciate. It has made this fall semester so far feel like an extension of summer vacation. It’s been very low-stress, and I’m loving the time, resources, and freedom that I have, which I partially owe to IES Abroad.
Jimmy Xu
I grew up in Eastern Massachusetts, and I'm currently a rising senior at Amherst College majoring in Economics. I have many interests outside of the classroom, including sports, playing piano and singing, and writing and performing stand-up comedy.
