IES Barcelona: Arts and Culture February 09, 2021
By Julia Kelley (George Washington University) - abroad from 01/07/2020 to 04/21/2020 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Arts & Culture
I learned a lot about the city through my classes. Each course included excursions that allowed us to explore the city and experience new incredible opportunities like strolling through the market and exploring iconic museums and landmarks. Additionally, I learned the importance of trying new things and being open to new ideas because there is no better time to do so then during your time abroad.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I ended up in a single room in a residence hall which made me have to work a bit harder to meet new people but overall it was a nice clean space with a dining hall that did provide an occasional opportunity for getting to know other people. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I always knew I wanted to study abroad and IES made my experience more exciting and fulfilling than I ever thought it could be. The opportunities for excursions each week allowed for an easy way to meet new people, get out of your comfort zone and have new experiences. By having no Friday classes we were able to plan our own weekend excursions and travel to another country or take advantage of the pre-planned trips that IES offered. |
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 was very easy to lose track of how much you were spending especially when many weekend trips were not planned until you were already in Europe. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~50 to 100 (more if traveling) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take advantage of your dining hall if you have one but do not be afraid to treat yourself as you can be smart about your purchases (some of the best pastries and coffee are no more than a few euros). Stay away from the tourist traps (a lot of the restaurants around the Ramblas) because there is much better, authentic food for a better price, you might just have to search for it. Use Vueling for weekend trips, you can get great deals on flights and they allow you to have a carry on for free unlike some of the other discount airlines. |
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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High School Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 0 |
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? | Take advantage of the time you have, don't take any of it for granted (because you might get blindsided by a pandemic), and don't be afraid to meet local people by getting involved in a local workout class or activity. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
