Prospering Post-Pandemic May 26, 2022
By Ryan M (Spanish, University of Wisconsin - Platteville) - abroad from 01/11/2022 to 04/28/2022 with
SAI Study Abroad: Barcelona - Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB)
I improved my Spanish, experienced a new culture, lived in a big city, made a bunch of new friends with very different backgrounds than myself, and just gained an appreciation for a different community that I didn't have beforehand.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Fantastic staff |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was in a great location |
| * Food: |
The Mediterranean diet is pretty sweet |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any, but a friend of mine hurt his ankle and had no issues getting to the doctor |
| * Safety: |
Barcelona is an incredibly safe city. As long as you stay vigilant for pick pocketers and don't walk around alone late at night in dark alleys, you should be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This semester felt like a transition from the pandemic to the normal world, with many restrictions being lifted during my time abroad. However, this transition didn't affect the quality of the program in my eyes. The on-site staff was very accessible and planned tons of cool activities for us to do. |
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) |
Barcelona is a moderately cheap city to live in, but there are many clubs and bars that can make spending money very easy. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The program gave me ample opportunity to practice my Spanish |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate level courses |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make friends with the locals and practice with them. There are plenty of nice people who would love to help you work on your language skills. |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | I wish I knew how long it took to get a study visa. My program emphasized the importance of applying for one early, but I didn't realize just how early they meant. I received my visa late, but that was mostly my fault. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
