If Only I Could Go Back Past Review
By Andrew B (Economics, University of Wisconsin - Madison) - abroad from 01/07/2015 to 04/21/2015 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
I always knew that I would be studying abroad at some point during my college career. Coming in, I did not know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to explore and fulfill a dream. I chose Barcelona because of my limited knowledge in Spanish as well as the desire to be located in Europe for a semester. I enrolled in IES, at first, only because it was the study abroad program that affiliated with my university. After leaving this program, I came to the realization that IES is one of the best programs offered for studying abroad around the world. This program challenges you not only academically, but also personally. Being able to be in classes with no more than 25 students was a big transition for me, and I was finally able to establish a relationship with every one of my professors. If you go to a large school like I do, I would highly recommend choosing a program like IES. I was also challenged by many of my professors to experience new things while studying in Spain. Everyone encouraged seeking new places to go, but to learn something about yourself while on your journey. I even found enough courage to travel one weekend by myself. Before this semester of studying abroad, I would have never imagined doing something like this, but now I know that I can travel to so many different places and not have to worry about taking care of myself. Picking how to stay while in Barcelona can be challenging, but the best choice is the residence hall. I made a group of friends from students all over the US as well as others from Spain. Living in an apartment or a homestay does not give you the ability to meet and live with more than a few people for the whole semester, and that can be a problem at times. Being able to see so many different people each and every day brought me so much joy, and I would not change that for the world. The IES center is also perfectly located in the city of Barcelona. Right at the tip of Plaza Catalunya, I was able to walk over to La Rambla during my lunch break as well as exploring the Gothic District for hours on end. You can find almost anything you may want or need in just this one place. Barcelona is becoming one of those cities where every study abroad student in Europe puts on their travel list. This city certainly cannot be seen in just one weekend. It took me an entire semester to barely see all of the city. Studying in Barcelona was absolutely amazing, but it would not have been as great if it was not for IES. This program did everything in their power to make sure that every student was enjoying their semester. They truly do care and they show it with their overall care and persistence to provide every type of opportunity possible for their students. Choose Barcelona. Choose IES. Enjoy a semester you will never forget.
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. |
It was a little bit more challenging than I first expected it would be, but I think one of my professors there said it perfectly. Many students are paying all of this money in order to get academic credit for their home school rather than to pay for traveling around Europe. |
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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? |
The residence hall supervisor was a little biased towards the Spanish student who were fluent in Spanish, but it did not really affect the way we lived during the semester. |
| * Food: |
The food in the residence hall was prepared by one cook for over 20 students, and it was prepared like a residence hall meal. There was a lot of it with not that much work put into it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was living with 10 other American students as well as 9 Spanish students. We all got along very well and it was great being able to go out and enjoy being with everyone. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
During the semester, there was a plane that crashed that departed from Barcelona. Right when the IES staff heard about this, they contacted all of the students to make sure that no one was on that plane. They are really on top of their safety measures and do a great job to make sure everyone is ok. |
| 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? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go out and explore the different cuisines around the city, but also cook meals for yourself. If you eat out once or twice every other day then you should be in good shape. |
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 |
The biggest problem is that everyone speaks Catalan and English in Barcelona. They can speak Spanish as well but they always start with either Catalan or English rather than Spanish. |
| 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? | If you are trying to practice speaking Spanish with someone, the other person responds in English a lot. They are trying to practice their English with you. If they respond in English, then feel free to keep speaking Spanish. You are both helping each other by practicing your second language to each other. |
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? | Take advantage of the IES staff and learn things from them that you would not be able to learn by yourself. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
