Barcelona, Spain Intensive Internship Program: The Summer of a Lifetime! Past Review
By Lauren V (Marketing, The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
My study abroad experience was definitely worthwhile. I only wish I had done it sooner in my college career so I could do another study abroad program (preferably a whole semester). It was exhilarating living in a different country with a completely different culture and challenging your own comfort levels. I think we have a lot to learn from different cultures and ways of life and the best way to do so is immerse yourself in it. I loved meeting people from different countries and sharing out different perspectives. This experience has definitely opened my eyes to a whole new world and has made me a more well-rounded individual and more valuable future employee.
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. |
The workload was a little higher than anticipated. Also, I was a bit disappointed that we were only taking classes at the Barcelona IES Abroad Center rather than a local university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very helpful and friendly and made us feel welcome to come to them for any advice. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with 4 other girls from different US universities in the Eixample neighborhood which is a great place to live in Barcelona. We lived on the same street as the rest of the internship program students which was convenient for going out at night or meeting up to go to the beach/ hangout, etc. I became great friends with my roommates and others in the program am very glad I chose to live in an apartment. |
| * Food: |
I missed the food I was used to eating at home and got a little sick of the typical Spanish cuisine. I would suggest going to El Corte Ingles and finding foods close to what you are used to at home to cook at your apartment. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Weekend trip to Costa Brava was unforgettable and such a rewarding social and cultural experience that I probably would not have been able to do on my own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Barcelona- safer than I do many times in Austin! The only thing you have to worry about is petty crime such as pickpocketing (I actually got pickpocketed my first week there- lost my camera and cell phone). However, you do not hear much about violent crimes and as long as you keep a close eye on your belongings and are aware of your surroundings you should be good! I can deal with someone discreetly pickpocketing me- much better than feeling like your life is threatened. Of course, you must practice safety measures as you do in your home country such as always traveling and going out in groups and keeping an eye on your friends. You do not want to make yourself an easy target by acting as an "obnoxious, loud, drunk American." |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Nope! Loved it all. My advice would be to be realistic about how much you are going to travel, shop, etc and don't under-budget your trip. We ended up spending way more than anticipated due to weekend trips (that I planned on my own with roommates and friends) which was completely worth it and I was lucky enough to be able to afford. However, keep these extra expenses in mind and know that they can rack up very quickly and budget and save beforehand to accommodate these costs and prevent any surprises. My dad referred to the summer as "the most expensive summer of my life," but this is probably due to my personal spending habits and not everyone will spend as much as I did (eliminate unnecessary shopping trips...) |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPN 327G |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We used predominantly Spanish to interact and learn in our classes and in my internship. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do it while you have the chance!!...and then do it again!! Studying abroad changes your life and makes you grow up and mature in ways that nothing else can. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything! |
