Drop everything and GO TO BARCELONA! Past Review
By Stacy R (COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES., Boston University) - abroad from 04/13/2012 to 09/07/2012 with
EF - LEARN A LANGUAGE ABROAD
Pretty much the meaning of life. Yes, absolutely.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned so much from this course! The classes were only part of it. I was completely immersed in the culture and language, and it was only a few weeks before I was speaking to locals in Spanish and finding my own way around. The classes were just the right amount of difficulty, I was constantly learning and being stretched and I always felt supported by the teachers. There really is no substitute for the full immersion experience. By the end of it I felt so comfortable in the city and in the language that I miss it like a second home! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I only had a few interactions with the sales office, but they were friendly and always got back to me quickly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family experience was amazing. I arrived there not knowing any Spanish other than "Hola" and "Banyo" and they barely spoke a word of English but they were so happy to have me and made me feel like a part of their family. As I learned more Spanish, we sat around the table and would teach each other words for things in Spanish and English, and came up with our own Spanglish way of communicating until I became more fluent in Spanish. They're like my second family now, and I'm going back to see them in June! |
| * Food: |
My host family were amazing cooks. A lot of rice though. But there were a lot of different restaurants around when I wanted more variety. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I guess it depends on how much you choose to get involved, but by the time I left I felt like I belonged in Barcelona. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Just like any city you have to be aware of your surroundings, but the staff at the school were really good about telling us which areas to avoid. I was just good about being careful and always had my phone on me and I was fine. |
| 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) |
It depends on what kind of activities you're involved in and how much you eat out, but I was able to stay within my budget. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
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 many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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? | How awesome it was! |
