Studying Abroad at Universitat Pompeu Fabra Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The teachers were very knowledgeable about their subjects and interested in talking with their students. They were extremely approachable, and I felt like I really got to know my professors during the semester. The teachers were understanding of foreign students and maybe for that reason, the classes were not extremely difficult and we did not get much homework. At the same time though, I felt like I learned A LOT and was very interested in my classes.

On-site administration of your program

The ISA office in Barcelona was extremely helpful and generally just fun people to talk with and hang out with. They helped out with setting up classes (they were liaisons with the university), provided us with information about cultural activities/things to do in Barcelona (every weekend, they would send us a recommendation list of cool events, good restaurants to try, etc.). They also organized a number of field trips for the group and fun activities such as cooking classes or rollerblading around the city. They also can help you if you get sick, robbed, have homestay issues, or if you're just confused in general. They were great!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a roommate assigned to me from the same program. We shared a bedroom in the apartment in area near Parc Ciutadella with a family comprised of a mother, a 18 year old daughter, a 14 year old son. <br /><br /> Great, safe feeling location, near a metro stop, the university I attended, and the beach.

My host mom always prepared our meals, most of which were home-cooked and delicious. Barcelona has a lot of restaurants of diverse types of food, but it can be pretty costly.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved the nightlife in Barcelona and have a lot of good memories of going out with my friends and meeting people my age, either locals or other study abroad students from the U.S. and Europe. I really enjoyed the parties, especially the Carnival party on the beach which is a huge, wild event popular with Catalan youth. I also enjoyed the field trips to art museums because I am fond of Spanish artists and it was wonderful to see their works in person. It was great in general to walk around the city and take in all the great sights.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

ISA included health insurance in the price of the program and the office in Barcelona made it clear that we were to contact them with any health/safety issues. They took care of these problems efficiently and made sure we were given the care that we needed.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Barcelona, although a very fun and exciting city, isn't the ideal place to learn Spanish in my opinion. There are a lot of tourists and English-speakers in the city. However, if you make the effort to engage with locals, host family, and practice Spanish, you will have a great time and improve your Spanish.

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• Host Family

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• Americans