Studing Abroad in Barcelona Gave me Independence and a Valuable Experience Past Review

By Rose S (Biology, General., The University of Texas at Austin) for

CIEE: Barcelona - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I loved CIEE and everything it provided me with, but I wish I had been more challenged. I could have handled more difficult courses as well as the challenge of living on my own without CIEE there to take care of everything for me. However, having a host family provided by CIEE was one of the best things that has happened to me, and allowed me to grow as a person and become close friends with my host. Overall, I feel more independent, confident, and open-minded.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The program director and all staff were fantastic! They remembered every student and made great efforts to help us adapt to our new environment. Some of the teachers were inadequate, which was disappointing.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I had an incredible experience with my host, and ended up becoming good friends with her and her friends. She was very kind and made me feel completely at home. The house was comfortable and everyone in the surrounding area was also very nice. Most significant things like sheets and cookware were provided. The commute to class was about 30 minutes by metro/walking. Coming home late at night was fine because I either took a taxi or the metro (which is reliable and safe in Barcelona).
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	We took a trip to Madrid and Toledo, Tarragona, and other small day trips. They were all excellent.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Though one always has to have common sense in a city, Barcelona is overall pretty safe. However, pickpocketing is a huge problem and students should be very careful with their belongings. There were no huge health issues and no necessary vaccines.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	n/a

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	I had four semesters of lower-division Spanish courses.
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	Though the program instructors and directors encouraged us to speak Spanish, there was almost no motivation among the students to practice outside of their homestays and classes. I took advantage of the program's "Guardian Angels", who were local students that helped us learn our way around, and practiced my Spanish with them. I also spoke with my family and locals a lot, which helped tremendously. Though most of the time it was necessary to communicate effectively by speaking to locals in Spanish, most people speak at least minimal English

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family Apartment Hotel
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Advanced Spanish Writing and Stylistics
Course Department:	CIEE; SPAN 4003 BALA
Instructor:	Marisa Santiago
Instruction Language:	Castellano
Comments:	This class was well-organized and interesting as well as informative. It was not too difficult or intensive, but I still learned a lot because the professor was very talented and cared about our success.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Advanced Spanish for Academic Discourse
Course Department:	CIEE; SPAN 4008 BALA
Instructor:	Magdalena Vilsanescu
Instruction Language:	Castellano
Comments:	This class was extraordinarily easy and I felt like I learned very little. We had this class for three hours every afternoon and it was so slow-paced that it was pretty boring.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Derechos Humanos: Mecanismos de proteccion internacionales y estatales
Course Department:	UPF HESP program; 51142-1
Instructor:	Bárbara Díaz Santis
Instruction Language:	Castellano
Comments:	This professor did not let us slack off because we were foreign. Though a lot of students were bitter that the class was hard, I was really grateful for it because I learned a lot. The professor was also very kind and cared about us learning, which helped the experience.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Literatura Espanola Contemporanea
Course Department:	UPF HESP program; 51214-1
Instructor:	BEGOÑA CAPLLONCH BUJOSA
Instruction Language:	Castellano
Comments:	The professor was a very kind person and was did not want us to feel overwhelmed by the fact that this course was being taught in a foreign language in a foreign country, but I thought she was too easy on us. I wish this had been a more involved and challenging class.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Arte Contemporaneo (Contemporary Art)
Course Department:	Universitat de Pompeu Fabra (UPF) direct enrollment; 20024-2
Instructor:	María de los Santos García Felguera
Instruction Language:	Castellano
Comments:	I learned a lot from this class. Though the professor was not very organized in specifying details and due dates for assignments, the material was interesting and the lectures were informative. It was also fascinating seeing how the Spanish educational system works.
Credit Transfer Issues: