Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Loved ALBA´s Program, I felt like at home Past Review

By (University of North Carolina - Charlotte / UNCC) - abroad from 01/09/2017 to 03/13/2017 with

ALBA: Barcelona - Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Many things, totally recommended

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I am extremely happy that I picked ALBA Study Abroad. Barcelona is an amazing city, large enough to have enough entertainment and things to do and super safe. I never felt in danger. This program is very familiar, every time I had a problem, they helped me right away. The teachers were great, most of them are PhDs and you can totally tell that they love their job because classes are fun and very interesting. Sometimes, instead of studying in the classroom, we went to museums and monuments and they explained what we were going to learn that day there. It was just AWESOME. I felt like at home and I totally recommend ALBA. Thanks!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very helpful and fun. The team is multicultural so they speak English, Spanish, Catalan...

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apt was very cool, very well located close to the beach and to ALBA´s facilities. Big enough and super great views.

* Food:

Spanish food is very yummy and cheap.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Awesome city

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to go to the hospital because I have allergies. I didn´t have any problem, I showed the card ALBA provided and got treated.

* Safety:

Awesome, no danger at all.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Before going to Barcelona I was very nervous about the people I was going to live with, the other students, teachers... and since day 1 all of them were awesome and super friendly. I will only say that the last day in Barcelona, I cried because I knew I was going to miss the all so much!

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Barcelona is not expensive and there is always free stuff to do: museums, expositions, concerts on the street.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 30 euros /week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Just check internet so many cool things to do for free in Barcelona!!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

They always tried to speak to us in both languages (Spa and Eng). They even explained local says and stuff, very cool

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? nothing
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Barcelona
  • Classes, teachers and other students
  • All the people who worked for ALBA
* What could be improved?
  • I would love the program to be longer
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would have loved to have like a guide of Barcelona with stuff to do

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.