Tell me more:
Barcelona: Nothing else like it.
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:
Zac N. (Corporate Communications, The University of Texas at Austin) on August 28, 2011
Overall Rating
Personal Information
| * Start Date: | 2011-05-22 |
| * End Date: | 2011-07-10 |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? |
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 |
High level of attention to all students. There was a single faculty person that wasn't always willing to help. |
| * Housing: |
One very small bed room was split between myself and my roommate. Host mom was very caring, but the food was always simple and unimpressive. |
| * Food: |
The city's food is great, there are plenty of good places to grab lunch or dinner (or breakfast after a long night). Home-stay's food was sub-par. Must visit restaurant: Bo De B. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Attended two scheduled weekend trips to France and Majorca, both were very well scheduled and included above expected accommodation (very busy though). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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* Home Institution Advising:
How well did The University of Texas at Austin 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | none |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Fourth Semester Profeciency |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
When around other students, we spoke English. During class and everyday interactions with the city, Spanish was used. |
| 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? | A student who is looking to learn Spanish, and values a home organization that is very well organized and handles incidents well. But also a student who is looking to meet other students and try to learn the culture of the city. |
| * What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile? | I learned a lot about the Spanish, and myself. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
International Marketing - A European Approach |
| Course Department: | N/A |
| Instructor: | Jay Maroe |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very interesting course, well taught and structured. Good class to get an international perspective. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish 202 Intermediate Spanish |
| Course Department: | 202 |
| Instructor: | Daniel Rodroguez |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Well balanced, good mix of lecture and practice. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | None |