Barcelona: Greatest Time of My Life Past Review
By Ericka K (Acounting, Providence College) for
CIEE: Barcelona - Business & Culture
Studying abroad was the best thing that I have done thus far in my career. It was a great opportunity to learn about new cultures and develop an appreciation for these cultures. I became more independent and confident as a person and learned more about myself in 4 months than I ever have previously.
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. |
Majority of the grades were determined through a midterm and final exam, term paper and presentation, and participation. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE was very interactive with the students of the program. When speaking with students in other programs, they were not given the same experiences in their programs. The program size was great and the leaders made it possible to get very close with all of the members of the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My experience with a host family was extraordinary. I lived with another American student in the program, which made settling in much easier. The single lady that I was placed with treated us like her own children and lived with the notion 'what's mine is yours.' |
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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: |
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| 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? | Pay attention to how much you are spending in relation to the exchange rate. Money goes by very fast there, so make sure you are budgetting from the start. |
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? |
I developed my Spanish language the most through my host family and interacting with foreign students. The Spanish language course was also very helpful. |
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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