Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Take me back to Barcelona now, please. Past Review

By (Political Science and Government., Wellesley College) for

CIEE: Barcelona - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
YES. I became much more independent and had an incredibletime.

Personal Information

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

* 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.

* 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:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

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.

* 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)

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Be aware, but in general, Barcelona is a safe city aside from pickpocketing.

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)

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
Language acquisition improvement?

I lived with a homestay who did not speak English, so that helped. Many people spoke english, but certainly not everyone.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* 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.

Individual Course Reviews

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.
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:

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.