Best time of my life! Past Review
By A student (Criminal Justice, University of Hartford) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 12/16/2015 with
AIFS: Barcelona - Universitat Autònoma Barcelona
That I made the friends I will keep forever
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Resources in UAB were plentiful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
AIFS Inma did an amazing job organizing everything the students needed. I couldn't of done it without her. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Some people in the program had way nicer apartments-which we missed out on even though we payed the same amount. |
| * Food: |
School didn't provide food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated with the local culture. I made friends outside and went and traveled with local spaniards. I even played for the Barcelona Gaelic football team. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got sick once, and they walked me right to the doctor who prescribed me meds. |
| * Safety: |
Just watch for pickpockets! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The best friends, best trips, best vibe. Everyone was so helpful. AIFS solved any problem we had in a matter of hours, other programs made their students wait weeks- months! |
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) |
I ate out a lot and it's part of spanish culture to go out instead of stay inside someone's home. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just go to local markets and get fresh food and veggies for cheap! |
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 |
They provided us with many opportunities to get involved with the language. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish Honors High School |
| 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? | Be careful they speak catalan there! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | To not stress so much and to have a job to make up all the money loss. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
