Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was a tad difficult to gage how you were doing in classes because of the infrequent grading, and the even more infrequent return of graded work. Plus, once you got your grades, because it was a number system and not a letter system, it was hard to figure out what the grade translated to.

On-site administration of your program

They were very helpful and willing to do whatever they needed to do to make our experience the best it could be. I was extremely impressed with their kindness and their willingness to do whatever they could to make us all very happy.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a couple in their mid-50s. They had a daughter, but she lived and worked in London. I lived in the Sants neighborhood of Barcelona. It was a nice neighborhood, and the main street was full of stores and easily accessible amenities. Plus, the people were fantastic, and really treated me like family. <br /><br /> I was treated as a family member in their home, and any and all things, were at my disposal to use, like I was a family member. The neighborhood was pretty safe, I was only a couple blocks from the nearest Metro station, and the neighborhood was pretty. I was a tad far away from the center of the city, but I had friends that were close to where I lived, so I never had to travel alone unless I wanted to. The only things I needed to settle in were electrical items such as a straightener and a hair dryer, and the typical stuff such as shampoo, conditioner, etc. They provided me with sheets, blankets, towels, pillows, and breakfast and dinner.

There was more food than I could ever have needed, and they were very accommodating about making food that I liked and avoiding foods that I didn't like. They also gave me good advice about local restaurants and places where past students had gone for fun.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

They took us to do things that were very typical of Barcelona and of Catalunya, which was awesome to see and participate in. Most of the trips that I attended were very successful, and very cultured while being very fun.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt very safe, and felt no qualms about venturing around the city or my neighborhood by myself. I know healthcare was accessible, but I had no reason to use it.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

My host family only spoke Spanish, and all my classes were in Spanish, so I basically learned my language between my family and my classes. Plus, while a good amount of people in Barcelona speak English, they prefer to speak Spanish, so that's all we spoke in all situations.

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• Hostel

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• Host Family

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• Americans