Barcelona: Once in a lifetime experience! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The overall workload is much less than my American university. I rarely had daily homework or readings outside of class, however I found the system to be much more stressful as your entire grade depends on one final paper, presentation and exam. The Spanish professors rarely give guidelines for assignments or grading criteria. The classes are two hours in duration and are in strict lecture format. I found it difficult to stay focused and involved during class.

On-site administration of your program

I was in the Advance Spanish program which only had 30 students. I really liked the small size and got to know everyone on a personal level. There were many resources available to students and I found the staff to be extremely helpful. The one thing I was disappointed with was not having the opportunity to meet local people. I would have liked to program to have mixers or events with local students or planned intercambios. Also, I wanted to and was signed up for regular university classes with local students, but was unable to take them because the program started on the same date as class began. They wanted me to literally get off the plane and figure out how to get to the university on my own in time for class, which was completely unreasonable.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a neighborhood called Sarria that is very safe and mostly residential. It was a little far from the center of Barcelona and it took me 40 minutes to get to the university everyday. Also it was far from the districts with clubs and a more active nightlife. I had a terrible host mother. She never used the stove or oven and all of our meals were microwavable. She never spoke with us while eating dinner and often said that she was too tired to have the desire to speak with us. She went through our personal belongings and was at times rude to myself and my roommate. When confronted with problems she responded in an extremely immature way. She was standoffish, OCD about her apartment and unable to be flexible. I did not feel comfortable around her and felt like I had to walk on my tip toes whenever I was in the apartment.

My food at my homestay was at times inedible. The best places we found to eat were Bo D B, Princesa 23, El Pasaporte, and the big market on Las Ramblas

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had an amazing time on a program sponsored trip to Morocco. Also, I really enjoyed a field trip we took to Dali's home and museum in a town just north of Barcelona.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was pick pocketed twice while in Barcelona. I did not feel comfortable walking alone in the city after the sun was down and opted to take cabs at night instead of the public transportation.

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

I practiced my Spanish in class with my professors, occasionally with other students while working on classroom activities, very rarely with my homestay mother, my RA and my boss at my internship. I did use Spanish in everyday interactions such as ordering food, asking for directions, and in shops, but I found that most people recognized me as an American and spoke to me in English.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans