Barcelona: How getting lost helps you find your way! Past Review
By Kevin R (Economics., The University of Texas at Austin) for
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
I wouldn't say it opened my eyes or was culturally enriching, but I did have a great time getting to see a part of the world that I otherwise might not have ever seen. I didn't learn how to be a better global citizen, but I did notice cultural differences among the different countries I visited, and how they view tourists.
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. |
Teaching methods were based on class participation as opposed to lecture style. Very beneficial. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Always accessible, willing to help in many situations that a tourist wouldn't have access to. Very informative and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was in an apartment right next to a metro stop, so that made it easy to get around everywhere, once you learned the system. Far from other students/school/beach/nightlife. |
| * Food: |
Eating around Las Ramblas is the most expensive area, so if you go off the beaten path, there are tons of great restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was a music festival, a regional holiday, the World Cup, my time in Barcelona was filled with cultural events. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Barcelona is notorious for pickpockets, so just keep your belongings close and be aware of your surroundings late at night. The criminals work in teams and work to distract you with little kids and people asking you for directions etc. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I knew going in that I was going to do a large amount of traveling to other European cities, I wish I had known the high cost of flights and lodging that exist wherever you go. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPN 312L |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Other students, the other teachers, everyone was relaxed and comfortable, making it easy for everyone to practice. Locals didn't speak much English at all, some not even Spanish. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Outgoing and independent are two traits that I would stress as important. It helped me out by allowing me to get to know classmates and roommates early on. Also, take a walk by yourself, with a map just in case, and get to know your area/how to get around (busy streets/intersections, bus stops, restaurants etc.) TRAVEL to other European cities while you're there. In comparison, most European countries are the size of a moderate sized US state. That being said, the distances between each country aren't drastic, and it's relatively easy to get from place to place. Trains were more expensive than I was expecting, and flights were easy to get. Have your transportation and hostel set up before you leave your host city, makes it much easier. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Int'l Marketing- |
| Course Department: | MKT 372.4 |
| Instructor: | Moran |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Great course, very enlightening. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Transfer took a 4 months |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intermediate Spanish II- |
| Course Department: | SPN 312L |
| Instructor: | Nuria |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Great course, got to learn by practicing speaking and using real world conversational situations. Much better than previous classes where you learn by reading from a textbook and filling out worksheets. Actual conversation is the best way to learn. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
