Barcelona, Going Abroad and Growing up Past Review
By Christine M (Economics., Providence College) for
CIEE: Barcelona - Economics and Culture
I vastly improved my knowledge and practical application of the Spanish language.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Referring to the classes I took at the actual University, the workload was more than I had expected. I enjoyed my classes at CIEE and the teaching staff. Grade distribution is a lot different, and exams could count up to 70% or more of your final grade. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My administrator was extremely helpful and organized. She filled us in on just about everything we needed to know. I knew that I could always talk to her if I needed assistance with anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very satisfied with my housing arrangements. The area where I lived was safe and I was treated as a family member. |
| * Food: |
I have a sensitive stomach so my host family accommodated this and prepared meals that would not upset my stomach. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The intercambios were a really great way to meet residents of Barcelona and practice your spanish. All of the fieldtrips were great! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Always be mindful of your belongings and keep them within eyesight. Health-related issues were dealt with quickly and appropriately. |
| 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? | Write out a budget for spending on groceries as accurately as possible, and do your best to stick to it. |
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? |
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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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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? | Do it!! Worth every second, you learn so much in and out of the classroom. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Society and Politics in Contemporary Spain |
| Course Department: | HESP 51153 |
| Instructor: | Enrique Martinez Herrera |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The workload was very heavy and unrealistic. He spoke far too fast for students who did not speak spanish as a first language. I could not understand many of the connections drawn between the reading material and class lectures. Overall the class seemed disorganized. Grading seemed slightly arbitrary and unjustified. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Economic Institutions & Markets |
| Course Department: | ECN 21130 |
| Instructor: | Mircea Epure |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very interesting, but a great deal of reading each week. Reading was interesting, instructor was passionate and engaged, but there was little room for differing opinions or interpretations. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
