CEA Barcelona: A top tier program, city, and experience Past Review
By Jeffrey L (Business Administration, Management and Operations., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Barcelona, Spain
This study abroad experience was very worthwhile. It allowed me to travel extensively, become nearly fluent in Spanish, broaden my horizons, and learn a tremendous amount through conversations, classes, and cultural experiences. It has been helpful in my career and every day life.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universitat Antonio de Nebrija Barcelona, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This varied widely among the students, but the classes I took were very challenging and interesting. I loved the teachers and all of them were very passionate and knowledgeable about their subjects. Most were also willing to stay after class, or go for a beer or coffee to answer questions. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CEA staff was really unbelievable. I felt personally close to most of the staff, and they were overseeing close to 400 students! They were enthusiastic, easy to talk to, and well organized. During my study abroad in Barcelona with CEA, my school (Virginia Tech) suffered an enormous tragedy that claimed 32 lives. I was very worried about my friends, professors, and classmates back at school. The staff at CEA could not have been more helpful, sensitive, and accommodating in the days following the shooting. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed at Residencia Onix which was nice, clean, and secure. It was a great environment to get to know other students but I also knew friends who opted to live in an apartment instead and loved that as well as a more independent living situation. |
| * Food: |
Barcelona has amazing food, but not cheap! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CEA covers some basic cultural excursions, but you need to get out on weekends and travel to other countries in Europe, or even within Spain. So much there to see/do! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It is a large city. Safety is an issue in large cities everywhere. During my program the worst safety issue was the threat of getting mugged if you were out at night alone in a secluded area, scammed on the street by con-men, or pick pocketed. Like I said, it is a large city. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Do NOT go to Europe and start talking to people in English. If you do not know another language, try to get a few basic phrases down, and ask if they speak English in their language. If you are trying to learn a new language, immersion is the best way, just go for it and get over any shyness. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Barcelona is a hub city within Europe; take advantage of the cheap flights and access to other countries. |
