Past Review

By (Marketing., Providence College) for

Universidad de Pompeu Fabra (UPF): Barcelona - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I wish I could write for days but I can't, and writing a few paragraphs won't do anymore for you than a sentence will. I'll keep this brief in hopes you'll read it. You won't be the same and, moreover, you'll be thankful for it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program administrators were great. They were young, friendly, enthusiastic, and professional. Couldn't have asked for much more.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Melon District Marina, a group living assignment for local and international students, that gave each resident their own bedroom and bathroom, and then a shared common room and kitchen for each floor. Overall, other than their strict guest policy, it was a great experience. <br /><br />

* Food:

Barcelona has a great variety of places to eat, and living with international students gave me an excuse to learn how to cook meals from various cultures.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? You're going to spend more than you'd like to. This seems to be a negative comment, but its not. You only get this experience once, don't hold back because you will be poor when you get home, thats what college is about.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
Language acquisition improvement?

A large number of the students spoke english, especially because of the ratio of international to local students. Other than that, speaking Spanish was a must. I'm very glad it was this way because it helped me utilize the skills i learned in class.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? All students. If you see yourself as open minded, you may find out you're less so than you thought, and if you're a bit closed minded, hopefully this will break you out of your shell. There are a lot of different opinions and ways of doing things in the world. The one you're used to might not be the best one for you. This experience, if nothing else, will help you figure that out.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Legal Markets of the European Union

Course Department:
Instructor: Nuria Sancho Fortuny
Instruction Language: English
Comments: All of my courses abroad were interesting and well mediated. This course is the only exception to the rule. It had potential as, as a course idea, to be quite interesting, but the professor really ruined it for everyone. The class was supposed to be in english but her english was terrible. This was not only a problem for the English speaking students in the class, but also for the Spaniards who struggled enough to understand our accents. Her broken english, and total misuse of words left them staring blankly. The class time was not used efficiently, and instead we found ourselves with 10 to 15 classes where attendance was mandatory but we were not given any direction, except to work on a midterm project that most finished in a couple of hours. The final exam was not even legible, nor could it be called English. I don't know a single student happy with the course, but in all honesty, after seeing the way the rest of the program was run, it had to have been the instructor.
Credit Transfer Issues: