All about IES London Theater Studies

Class Experience As a theatre studies student at IES London, the majority of my classes were theater-based, including Playwriting Workshop, Text and Dramatic Imagination, Theatre Industry, and Acting Then and Now. I loved all of these classes and highly recommend them to anyone interested in studying theatre. One of the highlights for me that came …

Treasured memories: my time on the UK DiscoverIES field trips

A few weeks before I left for my semester in London, I was sent the UK DiscoverIES field trip sign up. For IES London, the field trips were to Bath and Stonehenge, Canterbury and Dover, Windsor, Edinburgh, and Oxford. At first, I was hesitant to go on many of them because I knew that there …

Does traveling with your parents really conquer homesickness? 

An overarching struggle that many students seem to face while studying abroad is homesickness. This could be triggered from various things such as illness, seeing a dog that reminds you of your dog, something going wrong while traveling, and the list goes on.  One thing that I was really nervous about upon entering my abroad …

Mise en scène: Performing in France

The IES Abroad Nantes Program offers a variety of courses taught entirely in French, from Gastronomy to Translation, but the most interactive course is without a doubt TH 343: Theater Production. You read that right! Theater Production. No, we’re not sitting at desks in the IES center analyzing French comedies— we’re rehearsing for a live performance, every …

Reasons to be Thankful

It seems strange to miss Thanksgiving this year. I love the traditions of family and friends getting together to share a delicious meal and reflect on what makes them grateful. My family even takes a collective nap after the feast. That is a relaxing and necessary communal experience after the indulgences. Being in a foreign …

Being a Tourist Reprise

I can’t believe I have been in London for over 2 months. In that time, I have done the prerequisite tourist attractions. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Eye, etc. However, I did most of that within the first two weeks. I am unbelievably fortunate enough that my parents were able to visit me while I …

The Little Things

Sunny days are a rarity in London, especially now that the sun sets at around 5pm. So, with my morning class canceled and the sun shining bright and warm, I went to the park. My friend Keena and I decided to go on a morning adventure to Hampstead Heath and we went on a lonely …

Navigating through Homesickness

I did not expect the homesickness caused by not being surrounded by the people who ground you while studying abroad. I knew I would feel some sort of homesickness from being so far away from the familiar. However, I didn’t realize I was in this liminal space until I met up with a friend from …

A Trip to the Sea

This past weekend I traveled to the coast of England to the incredible city of Brighton. It is a college town, so the whole place is very young. I felt like I fit right in. Additionally, being on the seaside, it is a very touristy destination, especially in the summer. The colder weather meant there …

No Spoilers

One of the coolest parts of living in an entertainment hub like London is that there are many movie premieres and exhibitions surrounding new projects throughout the city. I have seen celebrities on the streets and at film festivals. I have waited in droves of people to potentially see stars at the Dune premier. And …