Good Luck Forcing Yourself to Get On the Plane Departing Barcelona! Past Review
By Oluwamayowa A (International Business & Finance, Trinity University) - abroad from 01/07/2014 to 04/30/2014 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
There's a reason why there's over 7 billion on this planet and not a single match of fingerprints. Everyone is different, so you should expand out of your bubble and discover what's out there. You'll be surprised to see just how intertwined the world really is. If I were to call this experience worthwhile, that would be one of the biggest understatements of the decade!
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. |
You learn ALOT with the unneccessary huge courseload, actual applicable things in your field and life, not just busy work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
By far, one of the best administration staff in the education system I've ever come across. So eagar for you to learn while at the same time, wanting you to get the most out of your abroad experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Homestay Father could probably be a chef if wanted to, food was amazing! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
So many ways and different aspects to meet and intergrate with locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Relatively safe city, but pick pockets are like a plague there. Probably the biggest and one of the few faults against arguably the greatest city in the world! |
| 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) |
Not as expensive as let's say Paris or Scandanavian countries, but with a ton of activities and more awesome food than you can eat. You'll find yourself spending money without even noticing it. |
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 |
Even for the people in Spanish 101, they would encourage us to practice and work on our Spanish as much as possible. |
| 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 |
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?
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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? | The pickpocketing problem |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
