CIS Abroad Semester Programs in Barcelona, Spain

I absolutely LOVED my time in Spain. From the people, to the food, to the city itself, Barcelona was AMAZING! CIS Abroad staff was extremely helpful with all of the pre-departure paperwork and I had no worries at all about my semester abroad. Upon arrival, the on site staff were extremely helpful in facilitating anything that I needed. In addition, the program has many fantastic excursions that really generate a love for the culture of your chosen country. I cannot more highly recommend any other experience. To this day I still talk to the friends I made while abroad in addition to my host parents on an almost daily basis. The connections I made in my semester abroad will be connections that I carry with me for a long time to come. Again, 10/10 would recommend.

Going into my semester abroad, I was super nervous about living in another country, especially without a support system. CISabroad calmed my nerves right away! From the very start of the trip they picked me up from the airport and helped me get settled into my apartment, and throughout the entirety of it they checked in and were always available for help and advice. Another thing I loved about CISabroad was the housing and school situation they placed me in. I was put into an apartment with other international students, making it extremely easy to meet lifelong friends. The location was in a family-friendly, safe, and centrally located area in Barcelona which I would not have traded for the world! As for the school, I attended the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and instantly made lasting connections with my professors and fellow classmates. CISabroad gave me the opportunity to safely explore the beautiful city of Barcelona for four months while meeting amazing people and growing everyday. Overall, I would not have done my semester abroad any different and I have CISabroad to thank for this!

Going abroad was one of the best experiences of my life. I met a lot of great people from around the world, saw cities that existed long before the United States were even colonized, and learned far more than what I could ever be taught in a classroom. Living and having to immerse yourself into a different culture forces you to grow and experience new things, the skills I learned and brought home from that will help me in the future with whatever I choose to do with my life. Going abroad creates a new way of seeing the world and understanding different cultures and customs, I think it is definitely something every student should have the opportunity to do.

I spent a semester in Barcelona with CISabroad and the program had its ups and downs. I lived in an amazing neighborhood in a nice, clean, and well-equipped apartment right by the metro and train. I also lived pretty close to the school I attended. The day and weekend trips they had planned for us were always a lot of fun but they always seemed a little unorganized. Overall, my classes weren't too difficult and Barcelona was an amazing city.

Barcelona truly felt like my second home. Every day there was a new adventure to go on and even after months there are things I didn't have the chance to do. If you like a city with a great variety of nightlife (everything from clubs to breweries to cocktail bars), beautiful beaches and a rich culture then this is the program for you. It is also super easy to get to other cities from the Barcelona airport and transportation is great. The classes aren't very hard because professors know that you are there to learn but also there to explore and visit other cities.

CISabroad made my time in Barcelona AMAZING!! Without them and the amazing support, adventures and fun activities the staff put together I think my experience would have been so much worse. I had friends who went abroad with other companies and didn’t get to go ANYWHERE! CIS is the cheapest study abroad program and you get to do the most things with the money you spend. I knew friends who spent $5-10,000 more on the semester than I did and the programs never took them on any excursions or out for any fancy dinners! Our advisors in the program took us out all the time and gave us free food and took us to Seville, Zaragoza and so many other cities! The staff was amazing and so helpful too! I had housing difficulties because my host family was terrible, but the staff made it so easy and they gave me and my roommates the option to move even though the semester was more than halfway over. I am so glad I picked CISabroad and so happy they helped make my semester amazing! Classes were extremely easy, but also fun and I still learned a lot! We went on many field trips and had great teachers! Program is also safety concerned and teaches you ways to avoid danger in the city! They really care about you!

As a student who was unable to originally go to a 4 year university because I couldn't really afford it, I decided to go to a local community college where I would work and pay for school. Since I didn't originally go to a four year university, I thought I would never be able to complete a dream of mine and study abroad. Last minute last year, my best friend told me about Barcelona , and how I would fall in love with the city, and I should try and study abroad there. With no prior knowledge of this city, I trusted my best friend, found a program and applied. I was able to get my funds in line and I'm beyond blessed to have spent a semester in what I believe to be the greatest city in the world. Through out my semester I traveled all over Europe/ Africa to other beautiful city's , but after each short trip, o was itching to go back!! Barcelona has such rich culture, with strong family bonds, extremely nice people, and really cool traditions I never even new about! I loved getting to learn all about Festival and Sant Jordi! Also everywhere you look in Barcelona is a perfect opportunity for a photo! The streets are filled with unbelievable architecture, and art on every corner! From amazing food to amazing night life , to almost perfect weather all year round, Barcelona is the perfect Mediterranean city to experience in college, in an amazing Country that is completely underrated. While living in Barcelona, I did drink from the Font de Canaletes on Las Ramblas, so I'm completely in love with the city, I can't wait return time to time and hopefully maybe even get the chance to live there again!

This was the best experience of my life. Madrid is the most livable city and the people are so lovely. I really enjoyed being in the city and with tons of help from Sara the CISabroad adviser in Madrid, I got to make great friends, go to wine and tapas tours, see the palace and make life changing memories. Universidad de Nebrija was also a great university and offered classes in both English and Spanish which was great. I highly recommend this program.