A Great Semester in Barcelona Past Review
By Jennifer S (HISTORY., Providence College) for
CIEE: Barcelona - Business & Culture
Absolutely. My study abroad experience was much more culturally enriching than I ever thought it could be. I was nervous and skeptical before I left the United States, but I am so happy that I chose to step out of my comfort zone and go to Barcelona.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
As noted before, the education system in Spain is much different than what we American students were used to. Your studies are much more independent and you cannot rely on the professor to give you too much guidance for exams, etc. As a history major, I did not have much trouble with the amount of writing assignments that were given, but I did notice that many people were surprised by the amount of writing. While more challenging than other study abroad programs I have heard about, I do believe that overall, my educational experience in Barcelona was enriching without being too overwhelming. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Since our program is based in the United States, the interaction between home institution and our program was terrific. They made sure that the courses you were taking would transfer back to your home institution before they allowed you to sign up. I think overall the administration was efficient. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our residencia was slightly further away from the action of the center of Barcelona, but it was extremely easy to get around the city as the main metro line was a few minutes walk away. It was very clean, very safe, and the staff was extremely helpful. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Barcelona has a stigma that it is unsafe; however, I did not feel unsafe or uncomfortable at any point during my time in the city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat in as much as possible. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Less people spoke English than I was expecting, but overall, it was easy to communicate with the local people. I spoke Spanish with local students at school and I also participated in a language exam program. I found that I was much more comfortable speaking Spanish by the time I left Barcelona than when I arrived. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Let your guard now and make new friends! Take every opportunity given to you by the program to get involved with the Spanish culture. |
