Opportunity of a Lifetime, No Regrets Past Review

By (Marketing, University of Arizona) for

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Barcelona, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was interesting living in Europe during the financial crisis. I gained an understanding of how Europeans work and view the world. I definitely want to work with Spanish speaking countries in my future career

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Gained an interesting perspective of international business with unbiased European instructors.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Student services was always ready to help out, program size was just right. Smaller classes allowed me to get to know classmates and instructor.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Melon was close to the nightlife and everyone had their own rooms and bathrooms. Unfortunately, they over charge for laundry, don't allow guests past midnight, and will charge the entire floor 10-20 euros per person if a flatmate leave the kitchen a mess.

* Food:

The food isn't the best unless you want to shell out 50 euros at a classy restaurant.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There's always something to do here. National holidays are a big deal and celebrated frequently. The younger crowd isn't too fond of Americans and forget about customer service.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

There were a few pickpocket situations in the program. It wont be a problem if you're always paying attention to your belongings and surroundings.

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

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Although I am not fluent in Spanish, it was easy to communicate with locals. English proficiency is a bit weaker than other European countries

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location, nightlife
* What could be improved?
  • More cultural inter-exchange events