Summer in Barcelona! Past Review
By Blair F (Advertising., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
HUGE appreciation for America. Love for travel - I want to see everything now. I am very hopeful to return to Europe in the near future.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was very nice and helpful. I have no complaints. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Everything was great. My host mom was wonderful. I do wish I lived a little closer to the center of the city. |
| * Food: |
Bo de Be. Milk. Bordiny. Princesa Z. Anywhere in El Born. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had a required "study journey" in Costa Brava, Spain. I LOVED it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Barcelona is full of pick-pocketers. You need to be VERY aware ALL THE TIME. Don't walk alone at night. Always look like you are walking with a purpose. |
| 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? | Eating out adds up. Going out adds up. Cabs were the death of me. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced with my Spanish teacher and classmates, my host mom, and locals. Locals appreciated when you tried to speak to them in Spanish, although I think most vendors understood English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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? | Have an open mind! Enjoy because who knows when you will get to come back! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Summer 2011 Advanced Grammar and Usage 1 |
| Course Department: | SP 301 |
| Instructor: | Laura Mier |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Good. I learned a lot. It was ALL in Spanish so it was pretty tough. I didn't like the organization of the book. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
International Marketing |
| Course Department: | IB 350 |
| Instructor: | Jay Moran |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I loved this class. I learned a lot; the class discussions were interesting and fun. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | It counts as my International Business credit for my Business Foundations Certificate. |
