Past Review
By Marina M (Neurobiology and Neurosciences., Barnard College) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
yes, it was worthwhile because any experience is worthwhile. i was able to live in another country for a semester and travel around all of europe, that alone is worthwhile. i was able to observe what culture is, what real food is, and appreciate how history has shaped each of the locations that i visited.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | UPF |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was not very challenging, mostly because students from the other universities took everything as a joke. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The organization was ok, the faculty was nice, but the student body was too large and not diverse enough. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
i was in a homestay with another student from the program. the family was amazing, the food was good, and it was centrally located. <br /><br /> I lived in a homestay with a mom and her two daughters. It was an unbelievably wonderful family. Everything about them was great. |
| * Food: |
Not enough vegetables and fruits. But that's just a personal preference. There was more than enough food provided at every meal given. And more than enough variety among meals. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was lacking in interaction with the locals. The only place I was able to have conversations with locals was at the hospital or in my homestay. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It was safe enough...as long as you held on tightly to your belongings and didn't let them out of sight. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Not much on food because I was in a homestay, so maybe 10 euros on food. If we went out at night then probably 30 euros a week on food and drink. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | you will inevitably end up spending more than you anticipated, especially since the euro is kicking the dollars a**. oh, and the program never told us that we had to pay about $100 for each of our readers, until we got a surprise check in the mail. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
They improved a bit, but mostly in my comprehension skills and not as much in speaking. I was able to practice the most with my host family and at the hospital. I tried to practice whenever there was interaction with the locals, but sadly this did not happen very often. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It's difficult to meet locals, you'll meet way too many obnoxious Americans, but if you are able to escape them then you just might enjoy your stay. |
