CIEE College Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

I had an amazing experience in this program, particularly because of the connections that I made. I lived with a host family and felt so welcomed by them. I got to practice my Spanish with them, learn traditional recipes, and participate in cultural activities. I highly recommend taking advantage of this housing option if you feel your language abilities are strong enough. I also made some amazing friends through the program who I still keep in contact with. Finally, the city of Barcelona had an abundance of cultural activities. I tried to go to a new place everyday, and was able to get through an entire month without getting bored. One of my favorite things was the modernist architecture all over the city.

By studying with CIEE, I was able to meet so many people from different schools who were in my program that became lifelong friends. I lived in a very nice apartment in Barcelona with 6 other girls. This helped me to really feel like I was living on my own in the city, but still provided me with the support of other girls who were in the same boat as me because it can be scary at first. Living in an apartment I was able to integrate into the culture while practicing independence. The two months that I spent there were the best two months of my life and I have the best memories around Barcelona. In addition to all of the fun memories, I also learned so much from my professors who were very qualified and from all around the world. The provided me with perspectives that I wouldn’t have found at my university in America. This experience changed my life for the better and I highly recommend studying abroad with CIEE.

I had an amazing time and CIEE made it all the more better. The weekend excursions provided gave all students the opportunity to embrace the great culture and sites all across Spain. The teachers in the program were very nice and helpful. The teachers created a collaborative environment and even took us on field trips throughout Barcelona that helped us better our understanding of class content and the city itself. I highly recommend to any college students who are looking for a easygoing- relatively neutral place in Europe to study abroad.

My study abroad experience is so special to me. I had never been to Europe before nor had I left the United States very much, so coming to Barcelona for a whole semester was a big deal for me. I loved how supportive the staff and faculty were, and they were always inspiring me to make the most of my study abroad experience. I learned so much about the culture and about myself in Spain. I felt like I grew as a student as well as a person. I came back feeling more confident and inspired to travel. I will forever be grateful for the time I spent in Spain.

Studying abroad was the best three months of my life. Traveling on the weekends to cities like Florence, Amsterdam, and Budapest was amazing and being based in Barcelona was a ton of fun on the weekdays. The classes are very manageable, but sometimes they are confusing because of the language barrier. You have to study abroad and Barcelona is an amazing place to do it. CIEE was helpful with classes and provided nice housing as well as day trips on the weekend for those who stayed in town. The hall I was in was insanely covid conscious which led to many inconveniences, but did not ruin the experience. Try not to be placed in Garbi Residence hall.

The CIEE Barcelona Study Abroad was the best experience of my time in college. Even though it was just three weeks, I was able to see the whole city and have so much fun. 10/10 recommend. I went completely by myself as well and met so many other people in the same situation. It was so easy to make friends quickly. The professor was very helpful with telling us where to go in the city and how to spend our days. I also went when covid was still an issue and there was no worry about being left in the dark should I test positive.

I really enjoyed my time studying abroad through CIEE. The best part was the activities they planned for us, including Montserrat trip, tapas class, and Cava / Sitges trip! Although I got stuck in an apartment very far from the school, I enjoyed learning the transportation in Barcelona. The city of Barcelona is a beautiful city with the most kind people in it. I loved being able to go grocery shopping and getting my coffee at the same cafe every morning. I was able to form connections with people in my living community and that was one of the highlights.

My experience with CIEE in Barcelona was unforgettable and invaluable! I lived in an apartment just a 15-minute walk away from the class building and a metro stop away from La Sagrada Familia. I had 4 other roommates, and even though the living spaces are generally smaller in Europe than in the U.S., we had plenty of space and loved our apartment. We attended classes four days a week. The classes were so interesting, and it was great to be able to take so many that counted towards my major. In this specific program, all of the teachers, although native Spanish-speakers, taught the classes in English. The classes were challenging but not so difficult that I had to spend all of my time on work. All of my professors were really knowledgeable and passionate about the topics they taught, and they were so supportive and welcoming. CIEE also has other support staff available for questions and help unrelated to classes, and they are all so helpful and kind as well. They are always willing to help students, whether it’s an issue with their apartment, or health-related, or even just wanting something as simple as restaurant recommendations. They also put together so many events that allowed students to meet each other, to meet locals, and to get to see parts of the city that they hadn’t before. Having a three-day weekend was so exciting. Every weekend, I took advantage of the time that I had and explored Barcelona, other cities in Spain, and even made a few trips out of the country. I loved getting to explore the places that I had never been before and getting to learn about the different parts of Barcelona, some of which I did on my own and some of which I actually did through class field trips. Overall, I absolutely loved my study abroad experience with CIEE! I had such a blast getting to practice my Spanish, live on my own in another country for a few months, learn from my professors and the locals, meet so many people, and get to experience so many incredible places.