Take Me Back to Barcelona! Past Review
By Brittany H (Criminology and Investigations, West Virginia University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain
I gained a better understanding of cultures both in Spain and all over the world. I met and became friends with that I never would have approached back at home. My spanish improved more than I ever expected it to and I loved every minute of being abroad. Studying abroad makes me want to continue traveling all over the world and I hope that I get to go back to Barcelona again soon!
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. |
Workload was average and the grading system was weird to get used to but I enjoyed UPF and the professors. The only teacher I didn't like was my Barcelona: The City and Its History professor. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought my program was a good size. In ISA at UPF there were about 30 kids. Some of the other schools/programs had close to 100 and I felt as though those kids didn't get a chance to get to know everyone. The staff on site was amazing! They were always willing to help, gave great suggestions for anything you wanted to know (food, shopping, activities, traveling, etc.) The staff also took us on excursions all over Spain and those were some of my favorite trips throughout the semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really liked my host family. There was a mom, son and dog. The mom was so nice and understood our lifestyles and was very understanding when it came to going out and traveling. She provided us with 3 meals a day and gave us access to the kitchen to keep our own snacks. Her son was our age, kind of quiet but nice. My only complaint was the dog, it would have accidents in the apartment all the time and it would howl in the morning while we were still asleep. |
| * Food: |
My host mom made more than enough food and always offered to make more if we finished what she had already prepared. Some great restaurants that you have to go to in Barcelona are: Bo De B, Quatro Gats, 7Portes, Cerveceria, and Cal Pep. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The night life in Barcelona is amazing! The city also has an unlimited supply of cultural activities like Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Batllo, The Gothic Quarter, Cathedrals, an aquarium, Tibidabo, Monjuic, and many many more. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Barcelona. Like any city you want to make sure you are with somenoe you know, especially at night. Transportation was very reliable and safe. The program was also very good about keeping track of us when we traveled. We always sent them an email or left a note in the office saying where we were traveling, with who and when we were leaving and coming back so that if anything happened they knew what our plans were. I never got sick but of my friends that did our program was very helpful with taking us to the doctor, the pharmacy, and getting all of it covered through our program's insurance. |
| 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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced my language with my host family, my spanish professor, and locals. I used Spanish everyday that I was there but I enjoyed it and it helped me improve my spanish. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I highly recommend doing a homestay. My friends that didn't were jealous of the food we got to eat and our laundry was done for us once a week. The homestays are always close to a metro station which is perfect since you will use the metro everyday and I could tell that my language improved a lot compared to my friends that were in an apartment. |
