Coming home was a lot harder than going abroad Past Review
By Jessica C (Spanish Language and Literature., Salem State College) for
API (Academic Programs International): Barcelona - Universitat de Barcelona
Absolutely. The feeling of being able to just hop on a plane and go to Germany, Paris, or Rome for the weekend is an indescribable type of independence and adventure.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was placed in classes that were below my level, from the exam on the first day. I don't feel as though I was very challenged or benefitted much from my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of my directors abroad were incredibly helpful with all of my questions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Absolutely amazing experience- My host mother was incredibly nice, helpful, and caring. <br /><br /> |
| * Food: |
Loved all the food- My host mother made the best authentic dishes but I also loved the food at restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Barcelona is known for a lot of petty theft, I was never too scared to walk by myself, but some of my friends had a couple incidents with muggers. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | In three months, I spend $5,000 in spending money. This included a lot of food, drinking, clothes, and traveling. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plane tickets are wicked cheap in Europe, TRAVEL! |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
A lot of people speak English in Barcelona, and if they don't speak English they speak Catalan. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | API was an amazing program. They offered help when you needed it while giving you plenty of independence. The organized trips were always a blast, and definitely gave me some experiences that I wouldn't have known to do on my own. |
