IES Barcelona - A Program to Remember Past Review
By Caleb G (Ithaca College) - abroad from 09/01/2014 to 12/18/2014 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
IES Barcelona is a great program that deserves praise for what it accomplishes. Barcelona in of itself is an amazing place to live – the city is rich with culture, opportunities, great people, fantastic food, and has an international airport to take you all over the world when you have time. The IES Barcelona administration is great, everything is well organized, and they work hard to provide a great time for the students – from a mandatory trip we took to Tarragona in the beginning, to trips you can sign up for. Even though I prefer traveling with a small group of people and booking my own stuff to do and hostels and whatnot, I loved the IES trips I went on. They were fun, well planned out, and great experiences. Yes, a lot of the fun of study abroad is what you do outside the classroom, but you do spend time in a classroom so it's important for me to note what classes are like. I had a few classes through IES that fascinated me. One of them - Self and Identity in a Postmodern World was one of the best classes I think I've ever taken in my career as a student. Others I took to satisfy general requirements, and while they weren't quite up my alley, I learned a lot from them. I found I was gaining a lot of knowledge about the architecture and the city, and it made my stay in Barcelona even better. Overall, this is an awesome program. Suggestion for you should you do this program – a) live in a homestay or a dorm because either will likely immerse you more in Barcelona culture in terms of people (trust me so worth it), b) take classes related to the city, you'll be surprised what you retain and how much better it makes your time in the city, and c) travel everywhere and explore Spain, and if you leave Spain don't just go to European cities – Marrakesh, Morocco was without a doubt one of the best places I went.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in a dorm was a great experience because I got to spend time with Spanish and Catalan people my age, some of whom I became good friends with! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60 dollars, sometimes more, sometimes less |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just be aware of where your money is going, and when you can save money. It goes quickly - try to pay attention to what you're spending and check your bank account every so often, as well as budget for you trips ahead. |
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? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Spanish |
| 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? | Don't be shy. Talk to people in Spanish (or Catalan if you're learning it). Just go for it, it's hard but worth it. |
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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| 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? | How important it is to go out of your comfort zone. I learned an incredible amount from doing stuff with local people, and from going to places that aren't your average safe European City. I also wish I knew helpful speaking Spanish would be – I was afraid to practice it with people and didn't learn as much as I wish I had. |
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.' |
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