Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fantastico! Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/24/2019 to 05/31/2019 with

CIEE: Barcelona - Advanced Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about myself and how I handle uncomfortable/not ideal situations

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host mom was great, she gave the perfect amount of allowing me to explore the city as a young person without coming off as strict or judgemental.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was able to access a healthcare professional in a timely manner with adequate insurance coverage

* Safety:

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

I needed to be completely immersed in the language and this program did just that

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I spent about $5000 throughout the program
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan your weekly budget and traveling budget separately

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

All my classes were in spanish

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? I had taken a 200-level course that was very conversation-heavy
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? Use spanish subtitles on your english Netflix or YouTube shows, listen to spanish music and read in spanish

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • My homestay
  • The class material
  • The program field trips
* What could be improved?
  • The structure of the field trips
  • Making more of an effort to connect study abroad students to local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that the time would go by really fast and that I needed to take advantage of every second

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!