IES in Barcelona Past Review
By Annik E (Multimedia Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
Yes, it was an educational experience I could not have gotten at my home university.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were educational, but just being there really taught me a lot. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program was not always very organized, but they were quick to respond to problems and the staff was helpful. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in an apartment with a widow and two American students from my program. We lived in the Sant Gervassi neighborhood which was very nice, safe and in a great location. <br /><br /> I had a wonderful host family and cannot complain about one thing. |
| * Food: |
Wonderful, healthy food. I always had plenty to eat. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program did not do a very good job of advertising and hosting social or non-academic events. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I felt I was informed of the issues I needed to be and did not feel unsafe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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? | I am not sure where the money went, but I feel that it was an expensive program. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | fourth-semester Spanish |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The best way to improve language skills is to immerse oneself in TV, newspaper, anything that is in the host language. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You will need far more money than you think. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intensive Advanced Spanish in Usage |
| Course Department: | SP350-01 |
| Instructor: | Marga Bolivar |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was the most helpful of any I took this semester. Marga was an excellent professor and made the lessons worthwhile. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Barcelona: The City and Its History |
| Course Department: | HS 51077EH-02 |
| Instructor: | Stephen Jacobsen |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Wonderful course. The professor was extremely knowledgeable and the coursework was what one would expect from a college-level class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Hispano and Latino Cultures in the US |
| Course Department: | SO 51057EH-01 |
| Instructor: | Antonia Olivier |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was an interesting literature course. However, it was marked as sociology on the registration site; this mistake was frustrating for students wanting to enroll in a sociology course, not a literature one. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sports and Society in Spain |
| Course Department: | AN320-01 |
| Instructor: | Dawn Hiscock |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was interesting as well as educational. However, some assignments did not reflect the nature of the course and could have been formatted to better use students' time and resources. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
