Barcelona, the city that never sleeps, unless it's siesta. Past Review
By Gabi S (Electrical & Computer Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
It was the best time of my life. I came back a more independent person with big plans for myself.
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. |
Very well-balanced and educational workload |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
No particular comments about the administration because I did not really deal with them a sufficient amount. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had a FANTASTIC Senora, she made healthy and delicious dinners and was very helpful with anything that we needed. Our house was close to school (4 stops by subway) and it was easy to get around |
| * Food: |
the Boqueria is an awesome place to get lunch for cheap |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took trips every weekend because there was no class of fridays. We went to Interlaken, Italy, & Brussels and Amsterdam. The IES students took a trip to Ibiza, which i wish i had gone on. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There is a HUGE problem with pick-pocketing and mugging,many of the students experienced this. But if you are smart about it, you should have no problems. There were also riots near the school during the time i was there, so we almost got caught in a couple but the school made sure to email us about the potential risks and to stay out of certain areas. |
| 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? | Make a budget for travelling, that was the most expensive. And for food when going out to eat. |
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? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced most of my spanish with my Senora at my homestay. I used Spanish everyday, but i also made an effort to use it everyday |
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? | You are about to have the most amazing time of your life, soak it all in because it passes so quickly. TRAVEL A LOT! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
International Marketing |
| Course Department: | IB |
| Instructor: | Jay Moran |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned a lot, the teacher was excellent! I participated way more in class than here in the United States, the class was smaller and more comfortable. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish |
| Course Department: | SP101 |
| Instructor: | Sandra Becerril |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I learned a lot of spanish because i was immersed in the culture and also learning how to communicate with formal instruction. The teacher was a local Spanish native who knew tremendous amounts about the subject and culture. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
