Culture Immersion Past Review
By Faith Pejsa (University of Redlands) - abroad from 01/08/2018 to 04/27/2018 with
IES Abroad: Barcelona - Study Abroad with IES Abroad
Study abroad was so worthwhile. I learned more about myself and grew as a person more than I have in my five other semesters in college. I was able to develop as a student, professional and human in society.
Personal Information
| 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? |
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| * Food: |
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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? |
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) |
The cost of study abroad all depends on what you want to do. If you are staying in Barcelona, for me it was very easy to stay on budget. When you start going out more and traveling more, the cost obviously rises. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $350 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Apply for all scholarships and save throughout the semester before. |
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 |
Staff would speak to you in Spanish if you were comfortable which really helped with my Spanish skills. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | 301 |
| 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? | Take Spanish before departing and really just try your best to talk to people in and around the city. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | Barcelona and Catalan culture is different from the rest of Spain. Barcelona is an amazing metropolitan city so if that isn't what you're looking for it might be different than what you expect. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
