Past Review
By Chajin W (Political Science, Rice University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain
Yes, it has made me fall even more in love with Spanish language and culture and I have become more independent and self aware.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teachers are very dedicated and the grading is fair. My language class was incredible and I learned so much, but I found the elective course (taught in English) to be dull. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They're super accessible and great with the students. They really make an effort to get to know you and help out with what you may need. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Poble Sec area. It was annoying because it was far from the school, but I grew to appreciate the area and the Metro is very accessible. <br /><br /> It's a fairly decent neighborhood, though it's about 30 minutes away from class, which I found a bit excessive. I never felt unsafe in the area and it wasn't difficult get to where I wanted to go, although it was usually 15+ minutes away. The host family is rather quiet so we never really bonded, but they were very friendly. |
| * Food: |
The food in my homestay was rather lackluster, but Barcelona has great food if you know where to look. Get a guidebook instead of settling for the nearest place. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program arranged a few day trips to neighboring towns as well as starting the program with a trip to Madrid and Toledo. Barcelona is amazing and there's always things to do. The annual festivals are also incredible. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
A LOT of students got pickpocketed and had their wallets stolen, so it is very important to be careful with your things. I got a pretty bad scrape and I took care of it by visiting the pharmacy, which was a lot more helpful than the US ones. I fortunately didn't have to go to the hospital, but you get health insurance with the program and the program directors will take you to the hospital if you need to go. |
| 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? | Nightclubs can get expensive (15e+ per night), but you can usually find a way to get in for free. I didn't eat out a lot. I'm fairly frugal and I spent about 50-100e per week on shopping, entertainment, etc. Metrocards cost me about 50e total, books cost me about 25e and my phone cost about 30e. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't pay to get into clubs, find promoters to get free entrance. Most of Barcelona's stores go on sale in the month of July, so wait a bit to go shopping. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate 2 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
In the tourist areas most people spoke English, so you really have to make an effort to go to the smaller neighborhoods and hang out with locals if you want your language skills to improve. Gracia is the best neighborhood to chat with locals. |
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? | If you're looking to party, you will fit in right away. If you're looking for more, it may take you some time and effort, but you will fall in love with the city and it will be completely worth it. |
