Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Unforgettable Street Memories Past Review

By (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 09/03/2018 to 12/18/2018 with

IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that life doesn't have to be so stuck in place. One can change their path especially if it will increase their quality of life.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were intruiging, and the teachers put more emphasis on learning the material than learning for a test, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I loved the administration. They all had such young personalities and had no problem speaking about their culture and experiences living in Barcelona.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I adored my host parents. Living with them taught me a lot about different areas of Spain, and about how some people felt about Spain.

* Food:

I loved the food in Barcelona. At first you think you are trying a bunch of different things, then you realize a lot of places have the same exact menus. My host mom's cooking was amazing. It was always something new. Since it was an authentic Spanish dish, I was able to learn a lot about the food and how it tied to different holidays and traditions.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I made my own way into the culture through traveling to different locations other than the touristy parts. I met tons of people from different part of the world and Spain. I met a handful of locals from Barcelona and they were always friendly and willing to hang out.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I knew a few people who had problems with the healthcare. Locals brag about how healthcare is free, but for IES students you have to pay $100 at the start. This caused some people I knew who should have gone to the doctor to stray away from it. I know for a fact that the doctors are phenomenal though.

* Safety:

The city was extremely safe. I would say Barcelona is one of the safest cities I know. I always felt safe even when walking by myself. It is important to always stay with someone, though; especially by the beach. I have heard of things happening closer to the beach were the big clubs are located, but other than that it is safe. Every person I knew who was pick pocketed happened to be intoxicated, so I cannot say that I have seen any pick pocketed

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I really enjoyed the staff. I thought they were full of life and extremely helpful. I also loved the younger staff they employed to live and check in with the students. I connected with a lot of them.

Finances

* 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)

Towards the end I ended up setting a literal $100 a week plan with my family, and that still wasn't enough. I would say Barcelona is pretty cheap, but $100 can get spent very quickly. It takes some serious budgeting and self control if you are planning on spending a specific set amount of money. I also lived in a homestay, so if you live in an apartment or dorm it will be more expensive.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I tried to only spend $40 on food during Monday-Thursday($10 a day for lunch since I got breakfast and dinner at homestay). Then $60 for the weekend.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make sure to budget for trips taken outside of Barcelona. I did not put that into the budget and ended up spending a lot of extra money. I would also advice buying flights ahead of time. Creating a budget for how much the student plans to spend during the week and during the weekend is very crucial.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

They really encourages us to explore the language and to enjoy the culture; but did not force us to- other than during the daily Spanish class.

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? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Senior year of high school
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? Watching tv with subtitles and audio in Spanish, ease dropping on people's conversations, and practicing every second you can even translating your sentences into Spanish after saying them

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Staff
  • they set up free massages and pizza days
  • the classes were focused on having us learn than having us pass a test
* What could be improved?
  • instructions on how to get to the school on the first day
  • having finals end before the last day of the program so the students are not preparing to leave during the same they are studying for finals
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It costs a lot of money to live in another country. If you live in a city you need to budget for transportation.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Organizational Behavior
Course Department: Business
Instructor: Adil
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The class challenged my way of thinking, and constantly required that I reflect on what I was learning and how my opinion changed over the semester.
Credit Transfer Issues: