Past Review

By Mickey L (Political Science and Government., Abroad101 University) for

IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

My abroad experience was terrific, and I remember it fondly almost daily. I found the fellow Americans on the IES Barcelona program not to my liking, generally, but I still had an outstanding time.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place:	Spring 2006

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	If one chooses courses one is actually interested in, the work can be quite enjoyable and not challenging - learning for the sake of learning.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The program had expanded that year to include many more students, and was going through growing pains. There was probably too many students and not enough faculty attention, in my opinion.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived with an older woman in an apartment on Calle Arago. She was terrific. 2 other students lived with us. <br /><br /> Location was ideal - right in the middle of downtown and a short walk to classes, very near the subway. Miren was terrific to us - gave us lots of freedom but was there to talk if we wanted. Food was good, though we always wanted more.
* Food:	Miren's food was good though we always wanted more. That was in part a cultural thing though, as dinner in Spain is a far smaller meal than in the US.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The social aspects of the program were marred only by the other students on the program, who were generally not my favorite people. But the trips, events, and other events were outstanding.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	City was safe, and the only real issue were pickpockets on the Metro, which I managed to avoid. Healthcare was great - when I got a sore throat, I went to a doctor, paid a minimal fee, and got checked out and a prescription very easily.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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

Language acquisition improvement?	I would certainly recommend living with a family, which is where I spoke most of my Spanish and really perfected the language. I also participated in a language exchange with local students which was beneficial.