Tell me more:
Take me back to Barcelona now, please.
CIEE: Barcelona - Liberal Arts
Program Information
This program is designed for students with 4 semesters of Spanish. Students who wish to learn about Spain and Europe through living in the unique and beautiful city of Barcelona will find that this program provides an ideal opportunity.
Program Snapshot
* Engage in Spanish culture through regular Uni... More
| Provider: | CIEE |
| Location(s): | Barcelona, Spain |
| Year Founded: | |
| Website | Take me there! |
Review By:
Libby F. (Political science, Wellesley College) on July 29, 2011
Overall Rating
Personal Information
| * Start Date: | 2011-02-03 |
| * End Date: | 2011-04-15 |
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universitat Pompeu Fabra |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed my classes and found that they were not as easy as I had expected. I learned a lot, my language improved, and I was able to stay academically engaged. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CIEE staff was excellent and went above and beyond in many respects. They were very helpful and responsive. LOVE them. |
| * Housing: |
My neighborhood was located close to downtown. It was far from the clubs and school, but that was manageable. I loved my host family. They treated me as a mix of a family member and guest/client in that I didnt have to tell them when/where I was going, but they included me in family events and activities. |
| * Food: |
I ate most of my meals at home, but my senora was an incredible cook. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Make Spanish friends, stay for the summer and enjoy San Juan de Verbena (Summer Solstice; June 23) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Be aware, but in general, Barcelona is a safe city aside from pickpocketing. |
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* Home Institution Advising:
How well did Wellesley College prepare and support you for your time abroad? |
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $40 between cabs, random groceries, lunches, and shopping |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you lose your metro ticket, it's expensive to replace. Travel is expensive. Cabs are also expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I took 273 which was a Spanish history and culture class |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with a homestay who did not speak English, so that helped. Many people spoke english, but certainly not everyone. |
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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A Look Back
| * If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same program? | Yes |
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Try to mix it up with locals and experience the culture beyond the tourist clubs and Las Ramblas. It's a beautiful city. |
| * What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile? | YES. I became much more independent and had an incredibletime. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Terrorism or Terrorisms? |
| Course Department: | don't know |
| Instructor: | Various: team taught |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I would have preferred this class be more about terrorism in the world rather than just US specific, especially because Spain had terrorist incidents in the past 20 years. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I don't know about credit transfer issues. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Spanish Literature |
| Course Department: | don't know |
| Instructor: | Begonia Capollonch |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I really enjoyed this class. It was a great introduction to Spanish literature. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I don't know about credit transfer issues. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Derechos Humanos |
| Course Department: | don't know |
| Instructor: | Barbara |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The class was extremely challenging. The subject matter was difficult and then in addition, it was in Spanish with a native speaker instructor. The professor was extremely knowledgable but very very challenging. I participated about the same amount as I would at home. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I don't know about credit transfer issues. |