Absolutely Life Changing Past Review
By A student (Government, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/09/2012 to 05/18/2012 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
Honestly, I gained a better knowledge of myself and my abilities to adapt and enjoy any sort of situation. So worthwhile!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universitat de Barcelona |
| 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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Dr. Cèsar Alegre Alsina is the Center Director and he is truly incredible! He made sure that every student received the help and care that they needed. His commitment to help me through a small rough patch was unbelievable |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I am a very very picky eater (no seafood, few veggies) but I found that there was always food around that I enjoyed |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While Catalonians seem closed off at first, they are actually very kind and welcoming people. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I saw 4 different doctors, all of whom I was referred to by IES and all of whom spoke English |
| * Safety: |
I was pick-pocketed my last week in Barcelona but other than your typical big city, petty thieves, I always felt safe |
| 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) |
My roommate and I were interested in experiencing some of the higher end cuisine of the city |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around 200 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Choose one or two nights a week to eat out and plan which restaurants you want to experience during that time |
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? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Upper Division Spainsh |
| 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? | Make friends who are native to the city. DO NOT do everything with your group of American friends (no matter how much easier that may be). |
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?
Select all that apply |
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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? | There really isn't enough time to do everything that you want to do in 5 months. |
