Past Review
By Simone D (Journalism & Spanish, New Mexico State University) for
NRCSA: Barcelona - International House
While I was disappointed with my classes at the institution, I believe that had more to do with the too-large classes and the non-specialized teaching. However, Barcelona is a beautiful city, and I completely recommend the location. Outside of the classroom, it was an amazing experience. And the program has great tour guides a few days a week.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| 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 school did a good job of separating students based on their learning levels. However, my first two weeks, there were 10 people in my class, which is simply too much to learn a language, in my opinion. The teaching methods seemed great for students that were complete beginners or progressively learning Spanish. For someone like me, who has a more inconsistent learning experience with Spanish, I felt that the program was not helpful. I don't feel as though I improved much in the month I was attending classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program administrator was readily available and ready to listen if you needed to talk to him. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My living situation did not aid me in learning Spanish at all whatsoever. I was satisfied with the location of the flat and the bedroom, but the lack of interaction with the family and the feeling that, while we were there, we needed to be in our rooms, was uncomfortable. While our house mom was lovely, her daughter (around 40 years of age) was rude. |
| * Food: |
We only signed up for breakfast, which was pre-prepared toast, every morning. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget generously, but don't shop as much as I did! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most people spoke English outside of class, and my homestay was not willing to interact much with me and the fellow students in the household. Outside of the classroom, I heard English more than anything else. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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