Barcelona Liberal Arts&Business Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Though the academic rigor was slightly less than at home (I received introductory or 200-level credit), that's to be expected from elective courses and people to study abroad tend to anticipate that. The staff was very helpful, and all of the IES courses are required to include two field studies, so I had some unique opportunities to see neighborhoods and businesses of Barcelona that a tourist wouldn't have access to.

On-site administration of your program

The center staff was very friendly, helpful, and in constant communication with the students. They were always available to offer guidance, whether about a serious concern or even just a cafe recommendation!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was incredibly spacious and up-to-date. It was a block away from public transportation, roughly 15-20 minutes away from the IES center, and in a very safe neighborhood.

In the apartment option, I had to provide my own meals. The cost of food in Spain (especially fresh produce) was actually very reasonable, if not less than in the US!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Students (especially those enrolled in partner university courses) had access to intercambios (language exchanges) or other frequent events to meet local students. If you make an effort to speak to locals, they are definitely receptive of your efforts. However, considering how large the program was, some participants could spend the entire semester with fellow study abroad students only. Integration is a matter of effort.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I luckily had no health concerns of my own, but a friend of mine who had to see a doctor was accompanied by her host family who helped translate, communicate with the medical staff, and take care of her.

The IES center staff handled unforeseen safety issues (such as various heated worker/student strikes around the city) especially well. Students were always informed and updated on any areas to avoid, and classes would have been cancelled if the risk of getting to class was high.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It varied week by week. The IES center was in a very "business-y" area of Barcelona, so some of the shopping was targeted towards older professionals (Passeig de Gracia). But in terms of restaurants, there was a lot of price variety; a very elegant restaurant could be across the street from a simple sandwich shop, so you could very easily find something within your budget. Some weeks we would decide to splurge on a nice big lunch, others we'd go to a grocery store and picnic. Nightclubs tend to have expensive cover/drinks, but there are countless promoters who reach out to study abroad students in particular. But bars tend to have much more reasonable prices, especially if they have specials. What really consumed most of my finances was the cost of weekend travel.

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

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• Apartment

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• Americans
• Other

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• Americans

• Great exposure to the city
• Interesting courses and engaging professors

• Information from IES was sent from a variety of e-mail address (i.e. academics@ies, barcelona@ies, academics@barc., [name]@ies) so if I wanted to search for a certain message, it was made slightly difficult.