Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Barcelona: Live, Learn, and Explore Past Review

By (Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst) for

CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Barcelona - Semester at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Going to Barcelona allowed me to leave behind every problem in my life and focus solely on myself. Being immersed in a culture that is so rich in history and tradition really opened my eyes because America just doesn't have that unity like the individual countries in Europe have. It was great to see how different the world is, and in that sense how similar people in other countries really are to Americans. Traveling made the world feel smaller, my mind more open, and overall made me a better person.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I think the workload was great for an abroad semester. It was not too much but my classes were still challenging. I loved having Fridays off- I thought it was extremely conducive to traveling and seeing as much as I possibly could in my 4 months in Europe.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Our group of students/interns was relatively small and I thought this was a huge benefit. Anytime I had any kind of issue, I could always contact one of two people at CIS who lived in Barcelona. Rich Kurtzman assisted us in several occasions. For example, our apartment did not have an oven so Rich bought a miniature oven for us that we could plug in and use. I know that people in larger programs did not have the same experience as I did and they struggled to have their problems solved. I recommend other students to CIS because of this.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had to buy a bath towel. My bed was not very comfortable and i did not have a legitimate comforter, but I'm not picky. Otherwise, my apartment was great. It was close enough to walk to class and I was three blocks from a red, green, and blue metro line station. The neighborhood was safe and quiet, and there was plenty of restaurants and cafes close by. I had my own room and we had a patio, which was amazing.

* Food:

Explore! go down streets that don't look popular; you never know when you'll find a gem!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

La Merce- the festival in late September. AMAZING. Our group went to Granada for a weekend together and this was one of my favorite weekends. I think more trips like that would make the experience a little better but I also liked traveling freely with the friends I met.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

At one point, I had an ear infection. I was able to get medication over the counter. What a great national policy! Barcelona is safe, as long as you avoid certain areas (parts of El Raval, for example). Pick pockets are a huge problem (my roommate was pick pocketed on his first night). However, as long as you are always aware of where your belongings are, you should never have a problem. NEVER KEEP YOUR WALLET IN YOUR BACK POCKET. That's just asking to be taken.

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)

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?

Most people did not speak English. It was tough to learn Spanish in Barcelona (because their native language is Catalan). It was easier to pick up Spanish in a city that speaks Castillian Spanish, but I would not have gone to any other city in Spain; Barcelona was the best experience. I practiced Spanish with my roommates and when I was out shopping or going to restaurants/bars.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The size (small)
  • All the activities, meetings, classes that the program provided. It was great to bond with everyone in my group so much. I miss them all!
  • The director (Rich Kurtzman is the man)
* What could be improved?
  • keep it
  • it is! Great job CIS!
  • the way
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I think any student who has an open mind and can easily meet people is a perfect fit for studying abroad. I saw students who were more introverted struggle to maintain happiness while being so far away from their usual comfort level. Students must be able to step out of their comfort level in order to get the full experience; but this shouldn't sound like a warning because the members of CIS living in Barcelona are more than capable to helping students with any problem they might encounter, both mental and physical.