IES Abroad Barcelona

Before studying abroad, I could never have predicted that I would come to call another place home. The time I spent in Barcelona was the best three and a half months of my life, and I wouldn’t trade the experience I had there for anything.
Although I was nervous to leave my family and friends, I felt completely prepared for my travels thanks to IES’s detailed pre-departure information. Before, during, and after the program, IES was there to support students. The staff was attentive and genuinely cared about their students’ safety, health and happiness.
Another great thing about IES staff was how much effort they put into placing students in the best housing. I was assigned a homestay in Horta, a neighborhood relatively far from the city center. It didn’t bother me that Horta was far away from the IES center because my homestay was absolutely perfect. My host mom immediately made me feel at home. Our house was beautiful, spacious and clean. She not only taught me to speak Spanish, but also many countless things about culture, food, kindness, family, and life. She was the happiest, most kind hearted person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.
The city of Barcelona is unspeakably beautiful. I was worried about living in a city, especially considering how prevalent pick-pocketing is in Barcelona. It turned out that within a few weeks I had a thorough understanding of the layout of the city, public transportation, how to protect your belongings, and, most importantly, how to keep yourself safe. The city offers limitless options for things to do, sights to see, places to eat, and stores to shop. And if you do want to escape the city for a day, Barcelona is located just south of the beautiful Costa Brava beach towns.
I would encourage anyone and everyone to do this program. Barcelona is such a diverse and exciting city – there is something there for everyone. It was also a great location for weekend travel throughout Europe, since, as a big city, there were reasonably priced flights from El Prat Airport to anywhere you could want to go. Then again, you might find yourself in this city not wanting to go anywhere at all…

Barcelona is an incredibly unique city, and has an amazing combination of culture, history, food, and nightlife. For those of you arriving this fall, there are so many things that you will have to do immediately! Between Gaudi's many works across the city, the delicious paella and tapas options, and F.C.Barcelona's upcoming season, you will undoubtably be busy. At night, make sure to experience the legendary nightlife, made easier by who I think is without a doubt the city's best promoter, Aashi. With Aashi's List, you get a VIP experience with free entry to the city's top clubs, birthday celebrations, and the ability to meet so many other study abroad students. Getting to know Aashi and going out with so many other students who wanted to have the same semester abroad experience I did made my time in Barcelona even more amazing. If you are going to Spain this year, get ready for the time of your life!

One story that best expresses my time abroad is the time I was hiking in the mountains just outside of Barcelona. It was warm out - I'd spent the earlier part of the weekend lounging on the beach - and it was quiet, a totally different experience than that of the city.
I met a woman on the mountain who was meditating. We talked for a bit, first in my broken Spanish and then in English, and she told me about all the surrounding mountains, some of which I'd already climbed.
When I left her, I ran into a wild boar nosing around in the dirt. Even though it was huge, I felt peaceful and happy to see my first wild animal of the trip.
That memory stuck with me when I returned to the city, full of metros and crowds and restaurants of every kind. It was like I could have it all - nature and city life wrapped into one!

When I began college, never in a million years did I think I would study abroad in Europe. When I decided to, I just had a good feeling that I would enjoy Spain and this city. What could be better than being on the Mediterranean? Nothing actually, it took some adjusting to but I came to love this city and my surroundings.
IES did a great job at getting students settled in and helping them adjust. Upon arrival at the airport, they gave you directions on exactly what to do. The facilitators were very helpful and told students great places to go, where to get the best food, and the unsafe places to avoid. Professors were also very understanding with schoolwork and projects, as they knew students would want to be traveling to other places in Europe. The facility was located in the heart of the city, and looked very new. It was very clean, had computer labs, study lounges, and clean classrooms. It was located at the center of everything. I went on several IES weekend trips, day trips, and after school adventures, and I had nothing but positive experiences. The chaperones were great, everything was planned out well, and you got to see the heart of where you were visiting. They provided many opportunities to go to other cities like Madrid, Granada, or the Basque Country, but also local things to do like wine tasting, cooking class, and hikes within the city. They really helped me to go out and learn the city I was living in. The potential they gave you to explore was the best part.
My living situation was a home stay in an apartment with an 84 year old woman who was the sweetest thing. My roommate and I ate dinner with her every night as we had nice dinner conversations, only in Spanish. Speaking in Spanish also helped me learn the city and the people within in. She gave us a great taste of Spanish cuisine, and was always asking questions about what we were doing.
IES turned into a very fun experience for me, where I got to meet new people in the same position as me, who also wanted to explore and learn a new lifestyle.
If you are at a high point in the city, it just makes you realize you're in one of the coolest places in the world. Barcelona is an amazing city, with so many opportunities of having fun and exploring. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to this day. IES was a great program who will help you explore the world.

Studying abroad in Barcelona was the best decision I have ever made. It opened my eyes to so much about the work and about myself. While in this amazing city I grew to be an independent, open-minded, global citizen. I would not trade this experience for anything (except maybe the chance to go back again :))

Studying abroad was the best experience I ever had. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity where you learn more about yourself, the world and people you would never normally meet. I was nervous to go at first but IES helped a lot through the whole process and how to adjust to a new culture. They were completely safe and made sure you knew how to handle the adjustment as well as being open for help if needed. I had an amazing time learning and exploring and I couldn’t of done it without IES Abroad. I walked into my homestay with no idea of the language but my host family chosen by IES was so welcoming it was hardly a problem and in the end I had a spectacular time. There were challenges but that made the whole experience worth it and I am so much better for studying abroad with the IES Abroad program.

I always knew that I would be studying abroad at some point during my college career. Coming in, I did not know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do, but I knew that I wanted to explore and fulfill a dream. I chose Barcelona because of my limited knowledge in Spanish as well as the desire to be located in Europe for a semester. I enrolled in IES, at first, only because it was the study abroad program that affiliated with my university. After leaving this program, I came to the realization that IES is one of the best programs offered for studying abroad around the world.

This program challenges you not only academically, but also personally. Being able to be in classes with no more than 25 students was a big transition for me, and I was finally able to establish a relationship with every one of my professors. If you go to a large school like I do, I would highly recommend choosing a program like IES.

I was also challenged by many of my professors to experience new things while studying in Spain. Everyone encouraged seeking new places to go, but to learn something about yourself while on your journey. I even found enough courage to travel one weekend by myself. Before this semester of studying abroad, I would have never imagined doing something like this, but now I know that I can travel to so many different places and not have to worry about taking care of myself.

Picking how to stay while in Barcelona can be challenging, but the best choice is the residence hall. I made a group of friends from students all over the US as well as others from Spain. Living in an apartment or a homestay does not give you the ability to meet and live with more than a few people for the whole semester, and that can be a problem at times. Being able to see so many different people each and every day brought me so much joy, and I would not change that for the world.

The IES center is also perfectly located in the city of Barcelona. Right at the tip of Plaza Catalunya, I was able to walk over to La Rambla during my lunch break as well as exploring the Gothic District for hours on end. You can find almost anything you may want or need in just this one place. Barcelona is becoming one of those cities where every study abroad student in Europe puts on their travel list. This city certainly cannot be seen in just one weekend. It took me an entire semester to barely see all of the city.

Studying in Barcelona was absolutely amazing, but it would not have been as great if it was not for IES. This program did everything in their power to make sure that every student was enjoying their semester. They truly do care and they show it with their overall care and persistence to provide every type of opportunity possible for their students. Choose Barcelona. Choose IES. Enjoy a semester you will never forget.

I had a great time with IES in Barcelona. The program staff were always so nice and helpful, and being there during the Catalunya independence protests was very interesting and educational. My living situation (a homestay) was very welcoming. My only complaint would be that there were 300+ American students in the program, which makes it very hard to immerse yourself in the local culture. Also, all but one of my classes were taught in English. IES set me up with an internship once I got there, which helped with my Spanish and feeling like I was more involved in the local activities while I was there. Overall, I had a great time!