Barcelona Fall '16 - Spring '17

My time in Barcelona was a fun and unforgettable learning experience in more ways than one. Academically, I would say that this study abroad experience was crucial for my confidence as a language major. I finally got over my fear of using my Spanish with native speakers and reached a point of fluency where not only am I able to read and write at a competent college level in Spanish, but I now am able to have meaningful conversations in my second language, thanks to study abroad. Personally I felt I was able to grow in my confidence to get around in a big city and travel through Europe, as well as make friends of all different ages, cultures and backgrounds. Barcelona is a fun, vibrant, international city full of art and good food.

Program-wise, I could not have been happier with the choice I made. I was in Barcelona with CIEE for the full academic year, so I got to know the staff at the center pretty well. They were wonderful, laid back, helpful people that I always know that I can come back and visit if I'm in the city. The ALA program was a great fit for me because it had a good mix of challenging literature classes at the University of Barcelona and smaller cultural classes at the program center that helped me get to see and understand the city at a deeper level. All of the classes were taught completely in Spanish by knowledgeable and friendly professors.

As far as my housing experience went, I highly recommend the host family option. I lived with a host family first semester, then changed to the student "residencia" so that I could experience both options. I really connected with my host family while I was there. Not only were they great friends, but having dinner together most nights really helped my ability and confidence with using Spanish. I also met some great friends through knowing them with whom I kept in contact. The residencia was also a good option, although I had much less interaction with locals living there. It was, however, in a great location where I discovered many of what would become my favorite bars and restaurants, as well as having very nice facilities.

Overall, I would highly recommend Barcelona, and specifically CIEE to anyone looking to study abroad in Europe. I am very thankful for my time spent there and know I will return in the future!