IES Abroad Barcelona

Being on this program has really changed me as a person. As a result of studying abroad in this dream location, I was able to experience many different types of environments in one location! From the mountains, to the beaches, to the many plazas and cultural festivities, I was happily immersed in my host city. Barcelona is such an amazing location to study abroad and I would highly recommend doing it with IES Abroad. They made sure from pre-departure to the last day in my host city, that all students were informed and prepared for anything. The staff were extremely helpful, welcoming and always open to sharing their favorite recommendable local gems for students to visit! IES helped students get on their feet and understand how and what types of things they could get themselves immersed in. Whether that was introducing us to tapas, encouraging us to take free dance classes, planning brunch at a beach restaurant, planning hikes, and taking us on trips to other cities outside of Catalonia such as Madrid, IES ensured that we were able to take advantage of such offered opportunities all while preparing us to create our own memories with our own desires to visit other destinations.

For housing, I lived in a homestay with a very welcoming woman and other study abroad students from my program. Each night we all had dinner and talked about the upcoming weekend and things happening in the city, all in Spanish! She was always there to help us with any concerns we had regarding where to go, what to see, and how to get there in the best way. She encouraged us to hang out with friends and explore the city and its amazing culture!

For classes, we had a good variety of options. We also had the option to take courses at a local university, which I took advantage of. I took some of my classes at and extension of UAB. By doing this, I was able to be in another neighborhood for classes, take the metro to class and really understand how to get in and around Barcelona. Unfortunately, my classes did not have local university students but it was still a valuable chance to get outside of the program classes.

My time in Barcelona was very fun and a great learning experience. I spent a lot more time in class and doing homework than I had expected, however, I loved the content that I was learning about in the courses that I was taking. The classes that IES offered were very diverse and interesting and no matter what your major is, there is a class for you. My favorite class was "Science and Society" and "Mediterranean Environment," both taught by the same, amazing professor. These classes helped me understand more about Spain, Europe, specifically the Mediterranean.
I was able to spend a lot of time relaxing in my room and exploring the city. IES allows you to have as much downtime as you want but they also offer a lot of programs that you can get involved with so the entire experience is really what you make of it. The experiences that I had with IES were very memorable and personal. I felt like most of the staff knew who I was and the things that I was involved in. Everyone has the same opportunities through IES and you will get the most out of your experience if you partake in these opportunities or make some of your own. I would go back and do it all over again if I could.

I initially chose to study abroad in Barcelona to improve my Spanish, but I got this and so much more out of my experience. I grew so much as a person while I was there and now I feel truly independent and cable traveling, speaking Spanish, and taking advantage of every opportunity. Every time you turn a corner in this beautiful city, there is something spectacular to look at or something exciting to do. IES helped to guide my experience and you can use their resources as much or as little as you prefer! I recommend going on as many of the IES Discover programs as possible because they find the best guides and activities as a discounted price. I would not change a thing about my experience abroad.

About 13 years ago, my family and I moved to the United States as refugees. Growing up, I've always wanted to work for a non-profit that focused on refugees and migrants. That is why I chose Global and International Studies as my major, and it's been the best decision. Getting the opportunity to go to Spain was unbelievable for me. As an intern at Bienestar y Desarrollo Association, which is Spanish for Welfare and Development Association, I received a very warm welcome since the first day, and never felt like I did not belong there. As the first non-Spanish speaker to be hired as an intern, it was an honor and I also never felt like an outcaste or out of the loop. Co-workers who did not speak English would still greet me and make me feel very comfortable. That is what I appreciated the most. The work environment was very comforting, which made communicating much better and easier. I was never scared to ask for help or anything.
Through all the professional work, coffee breaks, and simply speaking with other co-workers, without a doubt, I grew both personally and professionally at ABD. As an intern, in many places, you can end up having to do the same task for a very long time, which gets very boring and tedious. However, I was given various tasks, and that allowed me to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. Some of the things I had to do were new to me, but was very educational. It was interesting because the tasks mainly depended on the project that was being created at the time or the main focus, and so my responsibilities include, but not limited to, searching for possible funding opportunities in the EU, possible partners for collaboration, assisting with creating projects (Food Relations and COOLtoRISE), and proofreading/revising documents. Also, because the work environment was much more relaxed as opposed to the US, where everything is more scheduled and at ABD, it was more at flow, I was able to find my pace and work comfortably. I was able to get a lot of tasks completed. I am very proud of all the work that I did, and I hope that my work was very beneficial and helpful to the organization. The two months I spent in Spain were definitely amazing and Barcelona will always have a special place in my heart.

I went to Barcelona through IES last year without knowing a single person. I landed in Spain overwhelmed by the fact that I did not know anyone and that I was in an entirely new place. So I decided then to go into this experience with a completely open mind and by the end of my semester, I was flying home with an entirely new outlook and perspective. Study abroad gave me the opportunity to travel the world and truly immerse myself in the culture and history of a place thousands of miles away from me. I learned about art, politics, and life abroad. I also spent a lot of time getting to know my professors and they were always willing to give out recommendations and advice. Overall, it was an incredible experience and I encourage people to push themselves out of the comfort zones and adventure!

When you travel anywhere, there is only so much that words can do to describe your experience, if you weren't there you'll never fully understand.With that being said, I will still try my absolute best to describe to you my experience. Studying and interning in Barcelona, Spain was life changing, to say the very least. Not only was I adapting to a new culture and language, meeting new people, learning new things and seeing new sights, but I gained a new perspective on life overall. One of the biggest take aways I got from Spain was, "if something is different, it does not have to be better or worse, it is just different". That is a perspective that changed my entire view of life and I took back with me to the States. IES and their staff truly brought that quote meaning to life in everyday class settings, field trips, excursions or just conversations. My experience and time in Spain was only as amazing as it was, due to IES. The support staff prior to my departure were very helpful, but once I got there it was phenomenal. IES does an amazing job at truly immersing you into Spainish culture. There are so many informational and cultural excursions you can go to, language assistance and even personal-life support. Anything you can think about potentially needing while living in a foreign country, IES has you covered and then some. I never felt alone or unsafe due to the supportive staff at IES. I am so grateful to have chosen a program that truly cares about the students in the program and the outcome of their experience and future. I would recommend this program to any and everybody and I promise you I am not getting paid or any incentive to say this. If you want more details about my experience abroad please feel free to email me at: mglinsey@umail.iu.edu.

I met so many people from all over the world at the local museums including my favorite, MACBA. I learned so much about the culture and region from inside of the walls of the university. I would not have been able to have this experience without the program, and I commend the staff for all the work they do making the students comfortable and informed.
I would recommend thinking about where you will live thoroughly. There are pros and cons to all options. It really depends on the type of experience you are trying to get. When living with a family, you have to tell them where you are and report back more. There is less freedom than an apartment or dorm, but you get breakfast and dinner everyday- if you want. It is also extremely useful if you are planning to learn about the culture on a deeper level and get better with the language.

I loved every second of my time in Barcelona. Not only was IES extremely accommodating before I arrived, they also were helpful once I was there (ex. I got sick and someone physically walked me to the doctor). I lived in an apartment in the center of the city only about a 10-15 minute breathtaking walk to class. In between classes, I would explore all around the city. My professors were awesome and provided good tips for travel, eating, school--you name it. I was so sad to leave and think everyone should have a study abroad experience like I had!