The Best Thing I've Ever Done Past Review
By gina d (Fine Arts, Studio Arts, Berea College) - abroad from 06/22/2015 to 07/22/2015 with
KIIS: Barcelona - Experience Barcelona (Summer)
It was worth every second. Taking an art history class abroad was a good experience. I actually got to go to all the sites that we were learning about instead of just seeing pictures. I felt like I learned more that way. I also got to see the most amazing places in my drawing class and I gained a new appreciation for drawing that I don't think I had before. I also learned about just looking at things around me and just sitting back and observing things as an artist.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Because it was a summer program we the classes went a lot faster and we were expected to do a bit more work than during a normal semester. The fact that I was required to take two classes made it much more difficult, but I loved both of the classes I took, and despite the challenge it was still a wonderful experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Having to pay for laundry was a bit inconvenient, but the dorm I stayed in was really great! |
| * Food: |
My program didn't offer a meal plan, but the food I found while I was out and about exploring the city was wonderful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Because I took a drawing class, I spent a lot of time sitting in public places just observing the people and culture and everything that was going on around me. I spent so much time observing, though, that it was hard to actually be a part of what was going on. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no experience with this, so I gave it a neutral rating |
| * Safety: |
I personally had no problems with safety, but in a big city like Barcelona it's always a concern. |
| 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) |
Things like food and personal expenses didn't cost so much, but taking weekend trips to other locations was a bit expensive. The cost of plane tickets and staying in hostels were what made it a bit more difficult. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably somewhere between 150-200 euros not counting the money I spent on plane tickets for weekend trips. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Good food can be gotten quite cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | Nothing. I loved going into it not knowing what to expect and learning so many new things. |
