Past Review

By Farsheed F (International Relations and Affairs., Austin College) for

ISA Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was initially much harder to be away from home than I thought. But once the initial few weeks passed by, I was having the time of my life. I wish I was still there and that it had not ended yet. These experiences are ones that I will cherish forever.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	Autonomous University of Barcelona
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Workload was doable, some classes were interesting others may not have been, but there was a good selection of classes to take. There were some fantastic teachers (both in the manner of being able to speak English and simply their teaching methods) and overall an enjoyable class.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	While the people in the ISA were extremely kind and helpful, the program just didn't give enough bang for the buck. There are other programs that cost roughly the same and included more trips (one took their students on a weekend trip to Rome with hotel included) and more entertaining activities. ISA however tried.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	While the housing was pleasant and comfortable, the host lady was rarely home and when she was would only speak in her limited English with us. She was also not that great of a cook and would often forget to feed us at all!
* Food:	Some Spanish cooking is good, but to me most was pretty bland. Tortillas (not bread like here, but an omlette), bocadillos (sandwiches) and what not were good but Mexican food is way better!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Barcelona was just spectacularly fun! There was always something to do, some event, some place to go, somewhere to eat. There was so much to do just in the city and surrounding areas!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The two times that I got sick I was taken care of really quickly and thus had no issues. While I was safe as far as physical harm, people must be VERY careful of their belongings while out in the city. Pickpocketing ABOUNDS in Barcelona and they are VERY good at it.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

Finances

* 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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	Talk as much as possible EVEN IF IT INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT! This is the only way! Read, write, listen to music, watch movies, converse with people. Your skills will improve drastically.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Bring LOTS of money. Europe is expensive but totally worth it!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Politics, War and Economics in the Age of Globalisation
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:	Toni Raja
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This class by FAR one of the best classes I ever took. The teacher is fantastic. He is one of the smartest and most logical people I've ever met and you will learn A LOT in his class. If you are even remotely interested in political science or want to learn more about the world around you, this is the class for you. I think they may have split this class up now. At the very least you should take one class with this teacher, he is one of the best teachers I have ever had.
Credit Transfer Issues:	As of this writing I am still waiting for it to be transferred but expect no problems.

Course Name/Rating:	Political Economy of European Integration
Course Department:	Political Science
Instructor:	Rosella Nicolini
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This teacher is incredibly nice but very very hard to understand. Her class is also admittedly kind of boring, but it is not a difficult class. The class is interesting on a political/economic perspective to some degree but honestly not one of the better classes to pick.
Credit Transfer Issues:	As of this writing it has not yet been officially transferred, but there should be no problems.

Course Name/Rating:	Spanish Language
Course Department:	Level B1.2
Instructor:	Antonia Mendez and Montse Ramos
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This class was challenging but in a good way. Montse was really nice and always tried to make the class as entertaining as possible (since there was only 3 of us and it started early in the morning!). Antonia was incredibly helpful in getting us to speak which is the best way to learn and definitely helped in increasing my fluency and conversation abilities. She also had us do a lot of reading and watching movies which was also quite helpful. Again challenging but very helpful and rewarding in the end.
Credit Transfer Issues:	As of this writing not officially transferred but should be no problems.

Course Name/Rating:	Spanish History in the 20th Century
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	Nuria Rodriguez
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This teacher is very well informed and quite knowledgeable. The class could have been more interesting but it was not that bad. She would do her best but no lies this is not the most entertaining (and definitely not the worst) class you'll come around.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Not transferred as of this writing but should have no problems.