CIEE: Barcelona is the best, Program needs some work Past Review
By rose l (PSYCHOLOGY., Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/02/2014 to 04/12/2014 with
CIEE: Barcelona - Liberal Arts
Independence.
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. |
Classes were lecture style, 2 hour plus, only in spanish, teachers not very accessible. Most interesting class was a class focused upon Barcelona history, but otherwise classes were fair at best. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Disorganized, meant to be helpful, but overall (like culture in spain) were very free flowing and not consistent with hours/availbility. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
homestay was amazing |
| * Food: |
love spanish/catalan style of food |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
after a few months, barcelona felt like home |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Barcelona is a city notorious for pick pocketing and stealing not only throughout the night, but at day too. This stigma holds true, Barcelona is an amazing city, but it is definitely a dangerous city. Don't walk anywhere alone at night, and do not bring valuables (i.e. iPhones) out to clubs at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Be money smart |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | atleast 100-200 a week. every trip i went on (i.e. 3 day trip to amsterdam) would cost me around 200 euros (not including flights) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | book flights ahead of time, keep track of finances |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | 4th semester |
| 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, go out to local clubs and bars, flirt with spanish men ;) |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | Pick a place for the program, not just the city itself. I had envisioned barcelona as a dream for many years, and I did grow to love the city and my time abroad, but my program itself wasn't the right fit for me. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
