Tell me more:
If you let it, it will change you
IES Abroad: Barcelona - IES Abroad Barcelona Center
Program Information
Study abroad in Barcelona—capital of the autonomous province of Catalonia. The IES Abroad Barcelona program provides students with opportunities to learn or perfect Spanish while studying business and liberal arts.
| Provider: | IES Abroad |
| Location(s): | Barcelona, Spain |
| Year Founded: | |
| Website | Take me there! |
Review By:
GIl P. (Psychology, Trinity University) on August 25, 2010
Overall Rating
Personal Information
| * Start Date: | 1969-12-31 |
| * End Date: | 1969-12-31 |
| 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. |
None of the courses were "blow off" classes. I had a lot of variation between courses, some were very lax while others very structured. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Wonderful administration, I transfered classes fairly easily and scheduled doctors appointments without problems. When problems arose however, the program wasn't great at adapting its plan and didn't seem prepared. |
| * Housing: |
I was blessed with a wonderful host family that respected my privacy while also providing care. Show your family respect and don't be afraid to vocalize your opinion in a kind way to enhance your stay. |
| * Food: |
I can't eat pork and my host family observed this without gripe. There are three different plates filled with food, which helped offset the odd eating times. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You can't run out of things to do. Be adventurous, this is the time to spend your money (intelligently). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The doctors were free and helpful. Medicine was cheap. |
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* Home Institution Advising:
How well did Trinity University 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? | Lunches are not provided with the homestay so my roommate and I would go for tapas every day. It added up but I also feel like I had a good experience of the food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | As soon as you arrive and meet some friends, book your flights. Only carry-ons. T- Joven pass. Use the grocery store. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Live with a host family |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | An actual program, if you are more looking to travel then this isn't the program for you. Great people though and it will keep your academic muscles flexed. |
| * What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile? | You are not held back by your past or perceptions. Interesting to see what you can change and what is constant. Jump into the culture and do your research |