Studying Abroad in Barcelona is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity Past Review
By Alex H (Psychobiology, University of California - Los Angeles) for
ISA Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain
The experience matured me, enlightened me, and taught me a lot about myself. It changed me for the better dramatically. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universitat de Pompeau Fabra |
| 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. |
The program included a fair amount of work to keep you focused on school, but was understanding of the fact that students are also there to explore, travel, and absorb the culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Host country program administration was incredibly knowledgable about the host country and city. They were extraordinarily nice but did require some provoking to get certain needs of our apartment met. But all was forgiven when we would see our administrators at the same clubs as the students at night. Very friendly staff. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Extraordinarily close to our university and to the local hotspots. Amazing apartment. Living in apartment with 5 other Americans did hamper my language acquisition though. |
| * Food: |
Cooked for myself in my apartment, did not get that great of a feel for local food |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Cultural events and field trips were amazing. Program did a great job of providing us with plenty to do. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Like any metropolitan city, Barcelona has its dangers. But if you prepare and make smart decisions, you are just as safe as you are in any other city. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
My language acquisition did improve, however Barcelona is an outlier in that we learned Spanish but the locals speak Catalan as a primary language. However, they pretty much all speak Spanish as well and will converse with you in Spanish if you initiate. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Get out there and explore the city. There are endless things to do in Barcelona and Spain in general. Barcelona is the perfect city to go to if you are an outgoing individual with an appetite for art, culture, and partying. |
