IES Abroad Barcelona

Studying abroad was one of the best experiences I have had while being in college. Living in Barcelona was amazing and I enjoyed living in a homestay to fully immerse myself in Spanish culture. Every morning I would wake up to breakfast with my host mom and I would end the day having dinner with her. She became like a second mom to me. Coming from a small town, I was worried about the transition to the big city but it was fine and the metro system worked great. The classes were taught in English and were very similar to classes at my home college.

IES Barcelona is a great program that accomplishes a lot. Barcelona in of itself is an amazing place to live– the city is rich with culture, opportunities, great people, fantastic food, and has an international airport to take you all over the world when you have time. The IES Barcelona Administration is great, everything is well organized, and they work hard to provide a great time for the students – from a mandatory trip we took to Tarragona in the beginning of the semester to trips you can sign up for. Even though I prefer traveling with a small group of people and booking my own stuff to do, hostels, and so on, I loved the IES trips I went on. They were fun, well planned out, and great experiences.

Yes, a lot of the fun of study abroad is what you do outside the classroom, but you do spend time in a classroom so it's important for me to note what classes are like. I had a few classes through IES that fascinated me. One of them – Self and Identity in a Postmodern World was one of the best classes I think I've ever taken in my career as a student. Other I took to satisfy general requirements, and while they weren't quite up my alley, I learned a lot from them. I found I was gaining a lot of knowledge about the architecture and the city, and it made my stay in Barcelona even better.

Overall, this is an awesome program. Suggestions for you should you do this program – a) live in a homestay or a dorm because either will likely immerse you more in Barcelona culture in terms of people (trust me so worth it), b) take classes related to the city, you'll be surprised what you retain and how much better it makes your time in the city, and c) travel everywhere and explore Spain, and if you leave Spain don't just go to European cities – Marrakesh, Morocco was without a doubt one of the best places I went.

I couldn't have made a better choice in coming to Barcelona through IES Abroad. The staff is full of wonderful people and the whole program is organized in a way that helped me to take full advantage of my time abroad. Barcelona is an incredible, vibrant city full of life and color. You will never run out of things to do; from the beach to the surrounding mountains and each and every city street in between, there is so much fun to be had. The culture is wonderful and each and the people are full of passion - something you must experience yourself to truly understand. I lived with a local family and consider it one of my favorite parts of the experience. From eating breakfast each morning while talking to my host mom to riding the metro home each night, even the routine I found was something I never got tired of. I left at the end of the semester with a new state of mind, open eyes, and numerous indescribable memories. If that's what you're looking for in a study abroad program, come to Barcelona through IES Abroad!

I had wanted to study abroad in Barcelona for years before I actually went. My school didn't offer any programs specifically through the school, so I had to go through IES, and though I was nervous that the program wouldn't be as good, from the start, IES did all they could to help me. They provided each student with so much information and so many possible ways of contact, that if I ever had questions, I could ask someone and get a response very quickly. I chose to live with a host family, which I think was the best option because it really fives you a chance to learn more about the culture that you are living in for 4 months of your life. IES places at least 2 students with each other in each house so that you don't feel uncomfortable being alone. The classes at IES were challenging yet allowed the students to be able to travel on weekends and not have any worries about not being able to keep up with the workload. IES also offers weekend trips that are planned through the program, which I think were well worth the money. I went on most of the trips, and they were all very well planned and each one was a great way to meet and connect with more of the students in the program. My experience in Barcelona was one I will never forget. You have to take advantage of all that you can while you are abroad, that way you can leave feeling confident that you did all that you could and you can really see the growth in yourself by the end of the program. Barcelona is an amazing city to be able to immerse yourself in cultural activities, see beautiful places all over, go hang out at the beach, and have a great nightlife all in one. I would offer this program to anyone who was interested.

Studying abroad in Barcelona is something I will always cherish and will forever be a significant life event for me. Barcelona is truly a unique city, combining the ancient Roman times with the modern post-Franco era. I particularly loved how each district, or barrio, in the city had its own distinct character, which made exploring even more fun. I was satisfied with the IES program, from having professional and excellent teacher to helping with personal needs. Through my IES apartment located in a residential neighborhood, I got to experience Barcelona as a local and excel my proficiency of Spanish. Barcelona is an amazing city that has countless things to offer, and I cannot wait to return to this city one day.

Studying abroad in Barcelona through IES was easily the best decision in all of my 21 years of life. While walking through the city my friend and I even noted how all your life you, "Oh be careful, be wise, these are the decisions that will impact or change the rest of your life." Our decision as to study abroad, electing an international program vs. a school ran one, which program, which term put all of my best friends and memories and I together. Studying abroad showed me a clearer picture of who I am, what I am capable of, and of the world around me.

As far as the program itself, I was overly impressed in my close connections with those who worked with the students and led the sponsored activities and trips.

The trips themselves helped me better understand and see other parts of Spain. It was nice to on a few IES planned trips mixed in with my own as I was able to successfully see the best parts of a city while having everything pre-planned for me, even with scheduled independent time to do as I pleased. This was very nice, especially being on our own completely after the planned day activities.

The school was largely committed to helping us live as part of Barcelona. They held firey and interesting debates over current issues for students to attend, mini tours and explorations through vineyards, markets, and cool up and coming neighborhoods. They also offered plenty of workshops for dancing, cooking, and bike rides! They even hosted plenty of events planned by current student to keep us involved like massage and pizza days during test weeks, dinners or parties on celebrations, and photo competitions on Instagram.

My favorite part about choosing this program was that whenever my friends and I would travel anywhere, or others would travel to visit us, they all would leave saying the same thing. It was always a parting thought of how others wish they would have chosen our program and picked our city.

This always filled me with such pride. Although everyone liked their study abroad experiences, but I was full heartedly in love with mine. In love with my new friends that I still have and am flying to visit next week, in love with the best city that will always hold a place in my heart, and in love with the culture that is unlike that of anywhere else in Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter, which I will miss so much.

If you want to try great food, learn rich culture, leave your comfort zone for an international program whose students are from different states, and different countries, experience the best night life and have the most beautiful architecture, parks, and scenery that I have ever seen, IES Barcelona is for you. You won't regret it.

My overall experience with IES Abroad was extremely positive. Upon arrival, we had 1.5 weeks of optional orientation activities before class started. By participating in these events, I made friends, adjusted to the new time zone, and got to know Barcelona. My program did not have classes on Fridays, which was perfect for weekend traveling! Also, there were several optional trips that IES planned to different Spanish cities. I went on many of these trips (including those to Granada, Costa Brava, Mallorca, and Madrid), and I thoroughly enjoyed the activities they planned and the ability to travel with other students in my program. One down side to these trips was that there were several sites I wanted to see but was unable to visit because our schedule did not permit it. I also did not like how most of the dinners on these trips were hotel buffets, which prevented me from trying as much of the local cuisine as I had hoped. In regard to my classes, I was extremely satisfied. I loved my professors, found them extremely approachable and helpful, and learned more than I expected. However, my Spanish did not improve as much as I had hoped, as I spoke in English during most of the day with my friends. I also had an amazing experience in my home stay (students can also elect to stay in dorms or apartments). Throughout the semester, I learned so much from my host family, got to have home cooked meals every night, and was able to practice my Spanish much more than students in other living arrangements. I had such an enriching, fun, and memorable semester, and I would highly recommend IES Abroad Barcelona!

If I had the power, I would force every student in America to study abroad in Spain. That is the kind of experience it has given me time and time again. If you want to enjoy your day, from the moment you wake up til the moment you lay in your bed to go to sleep, without a doubt, Spain is the place to study. From the food to the people, Spain is priceless!