It was the best experience I have ever had and I'm going to miss BCN so much Past Review
By A student (Political Economy/ Spanish, Barnard College) - abroad from 08/20/2012 to 12/21/2012 with
CIEE: Barcelona - Advanced Liberal Arts
It sounds really cheesy and cliche, but I really feel that I found myself while abroad. I remember hearing and reading this phrase a lot before I left, and thinking that it was just another one of those things that everyone said because it sounded good. However, I know what they mean now. There is no real concrete way of explaining why I feel this way or even what it really means, but I know myself a lot better now than I did four months ago.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The CIEE courses were amazing--they were some of the best courses I have ever taken. The UB courses were not ver organized nor engaging though. The spanish students were constantly talking while the professor was lecturing and were not very interested in learning. The professors were very nice, understanding, and helpful though, so that is a plus. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE was great and so friendly. I adore the whole staff at the Casa. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was the best and the location of their apartment was amazing. My living situation was better than I could ever have imagined and I am going to miss it when I am back in the US! |
| * Food: |
My host mom always made sure to buy me what I wanted and her dinners were very good. As for eating out, almost all good restaurants are a bit hidden, but you can find basically anything. Obviously you are going to miss food from home, but try to explore the different types of spanish foods, there are so many and most of it is really good. Also, don't start complaining after a couple of weeks that you are sick of spanish food. You are in spain. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was hard to meet other students at the university as they often kept to themselves. CIEE tried to help us integrate by hosting intercambios and introducing us to "guardian angles" (who were spanish students who helped us settle into Barcelona). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
I never had a problem. A lot of people on my program got pick-pocketed, but I never really had a problem with it at all. Just be smart, don't wave your phones and money around in public. It really isn't as bad as some people make it seem. |
| 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) |
I didn't spend that much money on food because I ate with my host family most of the time. I spent most of my money on entry fees for clubs, etc. but that was quite a waste and I regret not going to a lot of the smaller bars, etc. where the locals hang out (try not to spend all your time at Vila Olimpia...). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to the local bars and clubs, they are a lot more fun and a lot cheaper than the ones where all the study abroad/ international kids go. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
They urged us to only speak in spanish (even with each other), although it didn't always work. But this is up to every individual--if you want to only speak spanish, it is definitely possible. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Live in a homestay!!! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The end of the semester gets very stressful so (even though I know you are studying abroad and don't want to do work ) plan ahead. Also, make sure to really explore take advantage of the first couple of weeks when school hasn't started or you are not doing much in your classes. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
