Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Leap Out of My Comfort Zone Past Review

By (Spanish Language, Literature, Trinity University) - abroad from 06/01/2015 to 07/10/2015 with

NRCSA: Barcelona - International House

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about other cultures, I know that sounds like kind of a generic answer but it is the biggest thing that I learned. I pretty much avoided other Americans for this purpose and it was quite successful. I also was able to learn what people from other cultures think about the US and Texas, while hopefully dispelling some stereotypes. Yes, it was very worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Good course overall, some teachers I had were better than others but overall I had a good learning experience. My last two classes were definitely over-sized and I felt like we had to fight to answer the questions and get our chance to speak.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Sometimes it was difficult to get in contact with the administration but when I did they were extremely helpful.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My room was very large in comparison to my friends' that I had seen and the private bathroom was very nice. My homestay mom always did my laundry promptly and cleaned/took out my trash on a regular basis. A bit outdated on her methods of how to learn Spanish (always wanted me to use the book dictionary rather than my much quicker electronic one), but was very helpful and patient with me. Not always A/C but she did buy me a fan. The Wi-Fi was kind of weak in my room as well, but otherwise it was great. I also couldn't cook, which was kind of a problem at first but I figured out ways around it.

* Food:

Always made a huge breakfast and I could have as much as I wanted.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Barcelona is a very touristy place and from that, most locals treat you like a tourist and its kind of obvious that they really only want your money. Of course, there were helpful and nice people during the process but it was slightly overshadowed by the other aspect. I did learn a lot about the culture of Catalonia, which I had no idea about before my excursion.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health issues besides some allergies and a cut on my arm which were both promptly taken care of. No vaccines necessary.

* Safety:

This is an extremely safe city. I walked home multiple times at 5 am and did not have any problems whatsoever. I didn't see one fight my entire trip either.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

It was rather difficult to live on a student's budget in this city. I was able to do it somewhat, but I rarely went out to eat and didn't spend a lot at the clubs. Barcelona can be a rather expensive city, depending on what you want to do.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to get food from the store as much as possible. Never buy drinks in the clubs. Try to haggle, occasionally it works.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Other
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?
  • Helped me integrate to the city.
  • Very multi-culture.
  • The good teachers I had were the best I've ever had.
* What could be improved?
  • The textbook is a little slow, seems almost high school level.
  • There were little to no university students
  • Smaller class sizes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? At least a basic understanding of conversational Spanish. I knew a bit before I came but I couldn't speak to people or get across what I wanted to say for the first few weeks and that made the language barrier very large for me.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!