Past Review
By Thomas W (Business/Corporate Communications., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
Yes, I will certainly be abroad again in the very near future.
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. |
The classes I took at IES Barcelona were structured pretty similarly to that of my American university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They didn't coordinate living arrangements and issues quickly and as professionally as would be seen in the United States. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Avinguda Sarria, near uptown Barcelona away from the city center and away from a lot of tourists <br /><br /> the area was nice but we constantly had issues with internet, electricity power outages, and the water heater. |
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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: |
I felt very safe overall except for when I visited Pamplona in the Basque region during the world cup, many locals didn't appreciate all the activities devoted to the success of Spain in the world cup. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No, but be careful dining out it gets expensive if you're not smart about where you go. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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? | SPN301 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Don't be afraid to speak, it will only help you to make mistakes. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | International Studies, or Business student would benefit most. Be patient and have fun getting to know your co-workers! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Internship Seminar |
| Course Department: | IN395 |
| Instructor: | Alistair Charles |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was very challenging and he expected a lot from our reports over international current events and the European/local economies. Our professor was extremely knowledgeable as he had worked internationally much of his adult life. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Grammar and Usage |
| Course Department: | SPN301 |
| Instructor: | Maria Mariajas |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Our professor expected more than the other advanced level Spanish professors did and required us to speak only in Spanish the entire program. Because of her guidelines and expectations, we learned at an incredible pace and developed better oral skills than we had previously. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
