Where to start... Coming in, I hoped to gained a broader perspective of the world from my abroad experience. Not only did this program enable that to happen, but it did more... way more than that! The CAPA Barcelona program and its professors sparked a new interest for me. One of the courses I had the pleasure of taking was Intercultural Management with Laura Cervi. She designed the class so that we learned from the city that we were in as much as we learned in the classroom. Barcelona is such an amazing place to learn about Interculturality. Other than that, the program itself was a very enjoyable one. My classmates were student abroad from the US, as well, so it was easy to make friends and have travel buddies for the weekends. Lastly, I would recommend living in a homestay. It is a much easier way to integrate into the local culture and makes your time abroad feel a little more homey.

Who would have thought I would ever study abroad? Considering that I am first generation college student and I am living on my own since the age of 18, this idea seamed like an illusion mainly so because of the cost. I used to think studying abroad was for a few selected, lucky people, however, CAPA made this dream come true at a very, very affordable cost. The program I went with was faculty-led semester abroad, meaning that professors from my campus came along with us, making us feel safer. The program made every possible effort to locate our apartments at a reasonable distance from our classes. CAPA provided transportation cards, housing, covered insurance and flights. The only thing I would care for would be food and individual trips. While abroad, the staff located in the city made sure that we also had fun connecting us to local weekend events, My Global City excursions and visits to museums to enhance our learning. The program made a great effort to provide classes that are transferable and can in some way benefit from this trip. For example, I was taking Travel Writing, which fit perfect! I got to make my own book with my experiences, emotions, and travels. Students, I would really recommend studying abroad with CAPA.

I came on this program by myself and was initially nervous about coming to Barcelona, but knew it would be worth it. This program completely exceeded my expectations. I made lifelong friendships, had the most wonderful homestay family, and got to experience Barcelona as well as other parts of Spain like a local. I would 10/10 recommend this program. It includes several day trips, field studies in classes, and weekends away that are all included in the price of the program. All of this really made it feel worth the price. On all of these trips meals were included as well. Not to mention they also have scholarships available. The staff was friendly, supportive, and always available when needed. There was a 24/7 emergency line as well, which added an extra feeling of security while there.

At the beginning of the summer, I knew nothing about Spain, but that all changed because of Barcelona SAE. I feel like they provide a great balance between cultural/in-field activities, enlightening classes taught by teachers from all over the world, and overall daily immersion (especially in the homestays). These all contribute to creating an environment where you really feel like you can feed your curiosity and develop your interest in Barcelona and the rest of Spain, without getting sucked into viewing it from a single perspective. I also loved the group activities Barcelona SAE planned for us. They helped me grow closer to my peers and provided their knowledge as locals to give us the best quality experience possible. I also appreciate that they did this without being suffocating.

This was by far, THE best experience of my life. Barcelona truly became my home, even though I spent such a short time there. CEA really helps you, not just academically, but also provide helpful insights about Spain, as well as really fun trips/excursions to other places in Spain. The classes I took really helped me understand Spain's culture and gave me a new outlook on how similar we all are. I came into the program not knowing anyone, because I wanted to get the most out of this experience and step out of my comfort zone, and it was the best decision I've made. I met amazing, like-minded people who I shared the best experiences with, traveling throughout Europe and throughout Spain. Traveling throughout Europe, between countries is very easy, which was great, because I was able to travel to Paris, Rome, Milan, Greece, as well as other parts of Spain.
If you're given the chance, Barcelona is the place you need to go.

When I say "do it," I don't just mean go study abroad in Barcelona, that should be a given. When I say "do it," I mean fully immerse yourself and make sure you are uncomfortable as often as possible. It sucks that the majority of kids travel for the sake of Instagram, or are simply doing the things that they are already comfortable with... those are not the things that make you grow as an individual. I went as a sophomore, and as most kids go as juniors, I went not knowing anybody on my program. This was definitely the right decision as I was forced to step outside of my comfort zone to create relationships that may end up lasting a life time. I highly suggest you study abroad somewhere, I just hope you do it the way that it should be done, not the way that everyone else does it.

My experience with SAE was awesome. I took classes at the UAB and I thought they were challenging but really interesting. All of my professors went above and beyond to make sure we not only learned the material in class but learned all about Catalan traditions and culture. I feel like I learned much more with them than I would have at any other school. The staff at SAE was also amazing. I felt comfortable approaching any member of the staff with any problem I had. The staff always made sure we were well informed about the places we were going and always had the best recommendations for things to do. I cant imagine my experience in Barcelona without all of the resources provided by SAE. If you're considering going to Barcelona, definitely apply for a program with SAE, you will be happy you did.

Everyone tells you this a thousand times over, but let me add to the list -- studying abroad is the absolute best time of your life. The only way to make the best time of your life even better is to experience it with the help and support of CEA's staff. With the help of CEA, I was influenced to travel to different cities, not just the mainstream and touristy ones, I felt safe in my own city, and was confident that if I needed assistance with anything, a staff-member would happily be there for me. Without CEA, I would have felt so lost and homesick but they helped me form a community in a foreign place and connected me with friends and weekly activities to enjoy and help me acclimate to my surroundings like cooking classes, beach yoga, and mountain hiking trips. I love CEA for their helpfulness and their kind employees, that became my friends.