Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Barcelona: A global hub for success Past Review

By (International Business., The University of Texas at Austin) for

IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I became more open minded, more adaptable, and more relaxed.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? No.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Second year Spanish II- Oral Expression and Reading Comprehension
Language acquisition improvement?

I practiced Spanish in my host family as well as in my Spanish class. Most people at the program spoke English, but in the city its more common to hear Spanish or Catalan.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Business Ethics in an Intercultural Framework
Course Department: IB 343
Instructor: Anna Penn
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was a well taught survey course of business ethics.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Leadership in a Cross-Cultural World
Course Department: IB 330
Instructor: Jay Moran
Instruction Language: English
Comments: A well taught course, taught by a fantastic business professor with real professional experience. He is able to integrate the information very well and its a fantastic class, that will challenge and teach all at the same time.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Sports and Society in Spain
Course Department: SO 320
Instructor: Dawn Hiscock
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Fantastic course, teaches quality information about Spanish Sports: team dynamics, business, sociology. The course is well integrated and taught very well.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Barcelona: The Cosmopolitan City
Course Department: HS 251
Instructor: Marina Diaz
Instruction Language: English
Comments: A course that teaches all aspects of Barcelona's history. A fantastic course to learn about the city, history, architecture, art history and more.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Business Spanish
Course Department: SP 303
Instructor: llolanda Nieves de la Vega
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: This professor is a fantastic teacher. She really places emphasis on students taking the most from the class. She works hard to integrate real business strategy, dynamics, vocabulary and grammar into the course. You will learn the necessary presentation skills in Spanish to be able to give marketing presentations as well as other valuable skills necessary to work in a cross-cultural or multi-lingual business environment
Credit Transfer Issues: