CIEE College Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain

Not knowing anyone in this program or in Barcelona prior to this experience, I was very nervous. Because of this program, I not only enhanced my academic knowledge, but also my cultural knowledge. This program made it very easy to adjust in a new city with a language I was, for the most part, unfamiliar with. The guardian angels made it easy to meet Spanish friends and also better understand the city.

I really enjoyed my time in Barcelona. I felt like I had a great balance of freedom and support and that I was capable of meeting the challenges that I faced throughout my time abroad. Barcelona is incredible and I enjoyed living there so much that I would like to return. I liked taking my classes at the Universitat de Barcelona. I learned a lot and experienced a different educational environment than the one to which I am accustomed in the US. I loved the program trips - I went on every single one and I enjoyed the opportunities to practice Spanish with locals. One of my favorite memories from the semester was going on a field trip with my class. I was a little nervous because I didn't know anyone else in the class very well and it was a full-day hiking excursion. However, I started talking with more and more people throughout the day and felt like I made friends that I kept through the semester. It was a great day spent in the outdoors, seeing a different part of Catalunya from a unique perspective.

Our time in Barcelona was fantastic. We stayed in an apartment in the Les Corts area. We always felt safe in our neighbourhood, even coming home late at night. Our classes were interesting and engaging and the professors were wonderful. All of our professors and the staff at CIEE were so kind, passionate and fun. We looked forward to our classes every day and really enjoyed our time spent in the CIEE house.

I highly recommend Advanced Liberal Arts program of CIEE based in Barcelona. In terms of academics, it is a perfect fit for those people who would like to improve their Spanish skills and immerse into the language and culture directly from the first day. The CIEE support is very thorough and you won't feel as if you were just left there on your own. The staff is very helpful with whatever queries or doubts you might have during the whole stay whether it concerns academics, residential life of local traditions and ways of doing things.
Don't miss any of the excursions or trips organized by CIEE because they are worth it - every place you visit with CIEE leaves a bunch of good memories, pictures and great impressions of the wonderful places you get to see and learn about.
I liked this program so much that I wanted to extend my stay and I managed to do it, thanks to the supportive staff of both CIEE and the College. If there is anything you want to address to the staff, do not hesitate to do so and try to solve it by yourself - they are there to help and they can come up with a solution you might have never even thought of.

Coming to Barcelona, I was nervous about so many things. I wasn't sure what the living arrangements would be like, how well I was prepared for taking 5 classes in Spanish, or what living in a new country would be like. From the moment I landed, CIEE ALA had everything taken care of. Alberto, the program director, helped us select classes with professors that he knew would be sympathetic toward exchange students whose first language was not Spanish. He even invited his professor friends to our CIEE school to help us prepare for the exams at University of Barcelona. Whenever I was nervous about anything, I was confident Alberto could help me figure it out. As for my living arrangements, I immediately met Carla, my Spanish flatmate, when I stepped off the plane. Over the semester, Carla became one of my absolute best friends. My other 2 American roommates and I knew we could go to Carla for anything be it an academic situation, a question about Spanish, or even something personal. Today, 2 weeks after I am home from my abroad semester, I still talk to Carla almost daily. She is someone who I know will be a lifelong friend. CIEE ALA was by far the best semester of college. I learned so much about myself, my own country, and another culture. The friendships I made will last a lifetime and the lessons I learned are sure to guide me in the future.

One of my favorite memories from Barcelona was going to an FCB soccer game with my group of girl friends. I have been to many NFL games in the U.S. but I have never attended a sporting event like this one. It was incredible to see the amount of pride the fans had for their team through their jerseys and various chants. Cheering on FCB for the win was the first time I truly felt like a native. I will forever call Barcelona my second home!

It's really challenging to narrow down all the great experiences into this one review. Everything about Barcelona is absolutely incredible, so incredible in fact, that I moved back after I graduated from Indiana University. If you're looking for a life-changing experience that you'll never forget, on top of actually expanding your knowledge of Spanish and a fraction of its culture, you need to study abroad and you need to do it through CIEE.

Each facet of the experience had its own special qualities. Obviously, Barcelona is an amazing city, filled with rich culture and tons of history. Even if you think you aren't an art buff, or a history buff, or a foodie, I challenge you to let Barcelona change that because it 100% will. My favorite, and possibly underrated thing about Barcelona is how disjointed it is but in the best way possible. The combination of different eras and influences that Barcelona has experienced over the year really gives it all its beauty and charm. How can you not enjoy a place as fascinating and beautiful as Barcelona?! Not to mention the amount of things there are to do in Barcelona and your soon-to-be obsession with Spanish food. I still make paella at home for my friends and buy jamon serrano whenever I find it in the grocery store. It's such an easy and exciting culture to adapt to and is so inviting.

One of the reasons I picked Barcelona, and CIEE specifically, is because of the many opportunities the city presented. It's a huge tourist hub which makes travelling really easy, but our program already offered excursions as a part of our experience anyways. This was so awesome because we got to explore some parts of Spain that may have been overshadowed by the rest of Europe had all the travel plans been put in my own hands. I got to not only learn about Barcelona and Catalunya, but other cities and regions in Spain as well which really helped to broaden my horizons. While CIEE is a rigorous program, if you're studying Spanish at a high level already, you'll be perfectly fine. I would suggest the CIEE-ALA program specifically if you really feel you can adapt and immerse yourself fully into the language.

My biggest piece of advice that some people may not agree with: STAY WITH A HOST FAMILY. When the excitement of being abroad fades (okay, maybe not fades but lapses for a minute) it's nice to have a home base that you feel connected to and nurtured by. I am still in communication with my first host mother, and the whole reason I was able to move back was due to her brother and sister-in-law taking me in my second time around. So I'm fortunate to say that I have not one, and not even two, but multiple connections that will remain through the years. It's also really nice to know that if/when I return to Barcelona yet again, I will already know so many people from those familial connections I made.

If you couldn't tell, I'm a little obsessed with Barcelona.

I fell in love with Barcelona -- all the different neighborhoods, the classes at UB, the CIEE building and all the staff there, my host family, my friends...I would absolutely recommend this program to anyone looking for an independent study abroad experience.

The immersion aspect of this program helped my Spanish improve so much. I stayed with a host family, and my host mom and I still talk often (and hopefully I can return to visit her soon!) I loved my literature classes at UB, in the beautiful historical campus of the school (If you can take a class with Dunia, do it...she's super cool and helpful with foreign students).

CIEE does free weekend excursions for students, and I recommend taking advantage of them. It's also very easy to travel out of Barcelona.

This program changed my life. If you have the ability to study abroad, take the plunge and do it--and do it with CIEE Advanced Liberal Arts. It's a close-knit group, a very helpful immersion experience in terms of learning the language, and an incredible adventure.