Barcelona: More than just a City. Past Review
By Sheema G (Sociology/Film production, Harvard University) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
Absolutely. I think of Barcelona everyday - in fact, I may want to live there one day. The city nourished my passion for people, language, and culture...and now I know I want to study Sociology.
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. |
I thought there was a great balance of learning the language and the culture, and having enough time to experience Barcelona on our own. My teacher was wonderful, as she was very enthusiastic about her teaching, and she was so incredibly supportive of all of us. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths - great people, enthusiastic people. Weaknesses - not enough school diversity in the program (i.e. too many of the students were solely from U of Texas!). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
n/a |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The (peaceful) protests really gave me novel insight as to how politics and the like operate in Europe. Also, our field trip to Costa Brava was wonderful as well! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
As far as violent attacks go, that rarely ever happens. However, Barcelona is notorious for pick-pocketing. I was sick for about a week while I was there, and I got a doctor's appointment the day I told the administration I wanted to go, and got my prescription medication the same day as well. There weren't any prevalent health issues from what I understand. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Honestly, a ballpark guess would be about 30-40 euros, depending on the week. Some weeks were more since I'd have to add minutes onto my phone, which usually spent about 15-20 euros. I spent more than some other students since the host family meal plan didn't include lunch. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The money flies away like birds. Keep track of what you're spending. I did that to an extent, but as time went on I became more and more ignorant of it! |
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? | AP Spanish (in high school) |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced speaking the language with my professor in class, as well as my host mother at home and in the public arena. |
| 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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