Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Best 4 Months of my Life Past Review

By (Biology, General., Providence College) - abroad from 01/02/2013 to 04/19/2013 with

CIEE: Barcelona - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I got to see some of the most famous cities in Europe, I made wonderful friends, I loved my host family, and overall it was an experience that changed my life!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

CIEE classes were straight forward and easy. I found the classes at UPF-HESP to be more difficult with grading, though the classes did not require a lot of work until the end of the semester.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The CIEE staff is absolutely amazing. They are wonderful, funny, and so helpful! Elena, the Resident Director, is also one of the professors and she is awesome!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a host family and I absolutely loved them. They were funny and really embraced me as part of their family.

* Food:

Tapas are amazing but more expensive in Barcelona than in other parts of Spain.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health problems but my friends who did said that the insurance set up through CIEE was very helpful and the CIEE staff helped as well.

* Safety:

Pick-pocketing is only a problem if you aren't smart about it. There were some protests in the streets but they were easy to avoid and I never felt unsafe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

I definitely had to save up. I found weekend trips to other countries cost around $300-400 and trips to other parts of Spain were $200-300. On a normal week with no traveling I could spend anywhere from $30-100.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $60
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I spent about $5,000 for the whole semester. Definitely look for cheaper flights and hostels. Some cities are more expensive than others, for example London and Paris were super expensive, especially with food.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We spoke Spanish all the time, except for when we were alone with our American friends.

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? SPN 104 (Intermediate II)
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? Live with a host family!!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Host Family
  • Exploring Barcelona and living in a foreign city
  • Making friends and traveling with them
* What could be improved?
  • Clearer direction from my school and program before going
  • Barcelona is expensive!
  • Nothing!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To save up even more money so that I could have stayed after my program to continue traveling more!

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.