The Most Amazing 4 Months of my Life! Past Review
By A student (Accounting and Related Services., Providence College) - abroad from 01/02/2012 to 04/19/2012 with
CIEE: Barcelona - Business & Culture
I made so many friends studying abroad, learned so much about myself, Spain, and Europe, and had an experience that I will remember for a lifetime. I enhanced my Spanish greatly, made a bond with a family that I will always have, and even made new best friends with students at PC and other schools across the US. This was one of the most worthwhile things I've ever done in my life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | CIEE Business and Culture, ESCI business school through Universidad Pompeo Fabra |
| 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. |
CIEE Barcelona was a challenging program. I learned a lot and they really helped their students integrate well into the culture. The professors and advisors through this program are high quality. The class schedule can be demanding, but the program really wants you to learn while studying abroad. Overall, I worked hard in this program and felt that I got a lot out of 4 out of 5 of my courses. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had the BEST host mother, and recommend doing a home stay to anyone studying abroad in Spain. I miss her so much already and can't wait to go back and visit her again soon. |
| * Food: |
My host mother was a GREAT cook. You really get the full eating experience by doing a home stay. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We spent a lot of time with our American friends, but the program had "GAs" that were Spanish students so we were able to meet a lot of local kids from Barcelona that way. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Once again, my host mother helped me so much whenever I wasn't feeling well, whether it was cooking special things for me, or taking me to the doctor. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe, from taking the metro alone to walking alone late at night. However, some of my friends did have items stolen from them by pick pocketers, but you just have to be super cautious and aware. |
| 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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely take advantage of food prepared for you at home. I never had to pay for dinner, which was a huge expense for some of my other friends that didn't do a home stay. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Compositional Spanish 210 |
| 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? | Take classes and try to only speak Spanish in them. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | To pack peanut butter and peanut M&Ms. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spain Today: Politics and Society |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Toni Raj i Vich |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was my favorite of all my courses from studying abroad. I learned so much more about Spain and was able to apply what I learned in the class to my everyday experience in Barcelona. The professor is amazing and makes the material interesting and hilarious. I would recommend taking any one of Toni's classes. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No issues at all, the course transferred as a Spanish elective |
