Barcelona Opened My Eyes to a New Culture, a New World, a New Me. Past Review
By Gabrielle A (Marketing., Providence College) for
CIEE: Barcelona - Business & Culture
It was absolutley worthwhile. I learned so much about myself, my peers and the world around me. I have no desire to change my major but I do have an increased desire to travel more and to learn about different cultures. I learned so much about myself and I was able to see what I truly value. This experience really helped me to mature more and I have become even more independent which I think is quite important in today's world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I did learn a great deal about the culture of Spain and Catalonia however the grading and teaching system was much different than I am accustomed to in PC. The teachers really gave the students no idea where they stood in the class until about the last week of the semester and I felt that PC professors were more available for help. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt that the administartion could have been more available and a little more helpful with things. I never felt that they were truly available when needed. Not all administrators were like this but overall I feel that the accessibility of the administration was not what I expected it to be. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very pleased with my housing sitaution. I was placed with a very kind family and the mother made dinner every night, cleaned the bathroom and my room once a week as well as did laundry once a week. She was very sweet and treated me as if I were her own child without putting any restrictions on me. I lived in an apartment building in a very safe neighborhood. The only qualm I had with my housing was the distance from my house to my classes. The program director stated that no student would have to travel more than 30 minutes via metro to get to class. It took me more than 30 minutes to travel to class hence I would have liked if the program director did not supply us with false information. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
In terms of safety, Barcelona is a great place to live. You don't really hear of many crimes in Barcelona but the biggest problem there is pickpocketing. We were warned again and again about how prevalent pickpocketing was in Barcelona but I still heard many stories about fellow students getting pickpocketed. In fact it almost happened to me one night in the metro. I took my hand off my bag for maybe 5 minutes while talking to another student and a man tried placing his hand in my satchel. That is one thing I must say that students need to be prepared for. They are not violent, just sneaky so one must always be aware of your backpack/purse/wristlet/satchel. It does not matter what type of bag it is, one just needs to keep an eye on it at all times. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My case is a little different because the airport lost one of my suitcases on my way to Barcelona so I had to spend a significant amount of money on new clothes. Aside from that, travel is more expensive, depending on where you want to go, than most people think. Also food adds up. I was only paying for lunch most days and even at low prices, it really adds up after a while. |
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? |
Most people did not speak English so I was encouraged to practice it everywhere which helped me to significantly improve my Spanish speaking skills. I used Spanish in almost every day-to-day situation I encountered. I also lived with a host family who spoke no English so I was able to practice Spanish with 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?
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? | I think a student who really wants to understand a different culture and learn or enhance their foreign language skills would really benefit from this program. You could come here and just party because the night life is great but I think someone who is really serious about developing their understanding of another country and its traditions will be able to take full advantage of this program. Anyone who wants to challenege themselves and mature and grow as a person should consider this program. For me at least, it teaches about a different culture but also gives a new perspective on one's own country. It opens your eyes to a different way of life and forces you to become more independent and mature but that's if you take full advantage of all that is offered to you. |
