Amazing work and cultural experience in Barcelona, Spain Past Review
By Anne Marie H (Marketing., Clemson University) - abroad from 05/26/2014 to 07/26/2014 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
Barcelona is a beautiful, lively city never with a shortage of something to do. It really has everything you could ever want while traveling abroad. There was some of the best food I have ever had and there was so much history and beautiful architecture to take in. I can't forget to mention the exciting social scene. Barcelona was some of the most fun times I have had going out. I highly recommend doing an internship in Barcelona through IES Abroad because you get to experience a new, exciting culture as well as gain real world work experience that will differentiate you from others. I learned to be independent, adapt to new situations, and communicate across different cultures.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Spanish class I took in Barcelona challenged me and encouraged me to use the language. I felt that my language ability became stronger after this class. The teacher would take us on excursions to different parts of Barcelona during some of the classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The teachers and administrators were very hands on and helpful with making our abroad experience the best it could be. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was not ideal or very clean. The RA we had was not great and she did not do a good job at getting us accustomed to the city. |
| * Food: |
The food in Barcelona is amazing. I encourage you to try everything and anything because it is some of the best food I have ever had. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Internship I did really made me feel like a local. I was able to see how the locals lived on a daily basis. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a medical issue at the beginning of the program and they were very responsive. However, the first doctor I went to did not diagnose me properly, so I had to spend a second day going to a different doctor. The program was very good at being hands on and accommodating to the medical issue that came up. |
| * Safety: |
The program did a great job at keeping us safe and informed. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | $250 depending on the week and whether or not I made meals at home and walked instead of taking cabs. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pull out large amounts of money when you use an ATM because you will get charged a fee every time you pull money out so it is better limiting the amount of times you use an ATM. Also, walk instead of taking a cab. It saves money and also is a great way to learn the routes of the city. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced, higher level courses at Clemson University. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Order your food and talk to the cab drivers in Spanish. It really helped me get comfortable with using the language. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Pack light and for the appropriate season. I had a lot of leftover clothing that I could not use. Go in with an open mind and be willing to try everything because being in a new city is a once in a lifetime experience. |
