An Unforgettable College Semester Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I loved my teachers-- they were really interested in making sure I understood the coursework as well as learned things about Barcelona to aid in my adjustment to the city.

On-site administration of your program

The administration for this program was great. They hosted several subsidized programs, where all students would have to do is pay a fee and everything was taken care of. I also had an incident where I needed to be taken to the emergency room at about 1:00am, and one of the administrators personally took me to the hospital in a taxi and stayed with me until I was well enough to go home later that morning. I couldn't have appreciated all the staff at the IES Barcelona center enough.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed with a host mom in an apartment. I loved being able to live with a host mom in a local's apartment, it made my experience so much more authentic and in tune with the Catalan culture. It also helped my Spanish improve so much, even though that isn't what I went on this program specifically to do. Additionally, I didn't have to worry about doing laundry or cooking dinner, because the host families do that for you!

I loved the food in Barcelona. Tortilla de patatas, patatas bravas, and pan con tomate were my favorite snacks. It was so much fun to visit the markets as well-- a few euros can get you a meal, a smoothie, or whatever else catches your eye. I also loved the concept of a menu del dia, which is essentially how you buy lunch or dinner. You pay one flat price and you get three or four courses brought out to you, and you're able to choose which dish from each category (appetizer, main course, dessert, etc) you want. The wine was so delicious as well. I love cooking some of the dishes at home that I learned from Spain.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt as integrated as I possibly could as an American living in Spain. Living with a host family helped so much, and taking advantage of the IES organized orientation and later programs were so fun yet also educational. Barcelona is a really easy city to navigate as well, and I took the metro all over to visit different parts of the city every day. The culture shock was very minimal for me.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The health care was great. As I stated before, I had an incident where I went to the emergency room in the middle of the night, and one of the head administrators went there with me and stayed with me until I could go home. The insurance was also very easy to understand, and the staff in the student center were more than willing to help you with the process.

I felt very safe in Barcelona. There was no violence that I ever saw, and I felt safe walking around at night with my friends. The only crime that is a concern is pickpocketing-- it is rampant in Barcelona, but it is possible to live there and never get pickpocketed. I stayed aware of my things and never let them out of my sight when I was out in the city, and I never got pickpocketed once. However, some of my friends who would leave their things out on tables at clubs or leave things in open jacket pockets had gotten pickpocketed during our time there. It's nothing to worry about as long as you stay aware.

I loved Barcelona, and I consider it my second home now. I can't wait for the chance to go back and visit again. IES was so amazing in helping me adjust to the city and still be academically successful.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

As someone living in a host family, I did not have to worry about dinner very much so that buffered a lot of my costs. The programs that IES organized also made outings much cheaper than they would be if I had planned it on my own.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I felt pretty encouraged to use the language as we were required to take one Spanish course during our time there, but it was all based on the preference of the individual. I personally really liked speaking Spanish when I was out, as well as when I was with my host family.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans
• International Students

• Host Family
• Program Organized Trips
• Culture of the City

• Course Expectations

The Academic or Linguist