Study Abroad with IES in Barcelona Past Review

By Charlotte H (Human Biology, 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?

I loved my experience and I could not have asked for a better 7 weeks. I loved the Spanish mindset and culture so much that I could have lived there for a much longer period of time. It really opened my eyes to the world in a way that is sometimes difficult in America.

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.	It was difficult to have homework every night and the tests seemed to come right after another, but I suppose that it what needs to be done when a course is only 6 weeks long.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	IES is an amazing program. They might overshadow you a bit in that they call you to check up a lot, but at the same time they really care about you and worry about you.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	433 Gran Via <br /><br /> The apartment was amazing. It was 2 blocks away from the metro and from there it was easy to get everywhere. The apartment itself was really nice as well and I loved my roommates and my RA. The neighborhood felt very safe to me and I liked living around the real people of Barcelona.
* Food:	They love ham flavored things which is odd, but I ate quite well and loved it. I am not a vegetarian, so I don't know if it would have been more difficult, but I have the feeling that even a vegetarian would have been fine.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I loved Spain and I loved going out and eating and drinking and all of it.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The city was very safe. The only threat was pick-pocketing, no one actually wanted to hurt you. And even then I never got pick-pocketed, be careful and you will be fine.
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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	No.

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?	Beginner I
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	I practiced my language in class as well as with my RA and my roommates and any Spanish person I talked to. In Barcelona they do not speak much English, and so it was a great opportunity to practice my Spanish.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans
* 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?	Any student who wants to learn about the Spanish culture while eating well and having a great time.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Great 20th Century Painters: Picasso, Miro, Dali
Course Department:	AH223
Instructor:	Matthew Clear
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The teacher was very knowledgeable and although the course had a great deal of information, I was able to retain it quite well because of the way it was presented. The teacher assigned readings every night which seemed unnecessary, but otherwise the workload seemed to make sense and was light. The great thing about this class was that we were able to see museums on each of the 3 painters we studied because of our location in Barcelona. I very much enjoyed this class.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No this should easily count for a Fine Arts credit for me.

Course Name/Rating:	Intermediate Spanish II
Course Department:	SP202
Instructor:	Joseph Mario
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	This class was a little more demanding especially for me because I skipped the Spanish level right below it and so some of the things we were expected to know I had never learned. The problem is that Americans and the Spanish go in a slightly different order when teaching Spanish and since the course was so short we had no time to review. However, my teacher was very helpful and I feel as though I succeeded in this class. It was difficult to focus for two hours while only hearing Spanish, but I believe this helped my Spanish immensely.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not need the credit, but if I had it would have transferred without an issue.