Past Review
By Margaret Keally H (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was very worthwhile for the cultural aspect and improve of my proficiency in a foreign language. I met many great people and came back with great memories. I did not feel like I took anything influential away from my courses and my Spanish class was the most horrible because of the schedule and material. Clicking through a powerpoint does not help students to learn Spanish. I still plan on working towards fluency in Spanish but will do so on my own through conversation with a native speaker rather than trying to re-learn basics in a classroom.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Barcelona |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Les Corts area of Barcelona on Carrer Entenca near L'illa mall. Loved my host senora, nice apartment, only frustration was the metro stop was not easily accessible. <br /><br /> |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The "study trip" to Tarragona was absolutely pointless. Also the course readers IES makes students purchase are rarely used in class and cost $200-$300, an unnecessary cost for materials that could be posted on an academic website like Blackboard. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | upper division Spanish course |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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