AIFS Abroad: Study Abroad in Spain

My summer in Barcelona was amazing! I traveled to different cities, worked with amazing people, met lifelong friends, gained great work experience, tried amazing food, and discovered so much about myself. I would recommend this program to all students looking to experience something new and who want to see the world. Our program advisors were unbelievable, the city was amazing, and every single day I discovered something new and beautiful. I always found myself turning the corner and seeing something new for the first time, even if I had walked down that street before! I loved getting to know the locals and their stories, while learning about their way of life in Spain. I met people from all over the world and made great connections! Seriously the best summer of my life

The program directors of Barcelona are amazing. Inma and Saskia go above and beyond to make sure that everyone is comfortable and enjoying themselves. The housing is amazing and the program directors do an amazing job pairing roommates together. The trips that they plan beforehand to destinations, such as Costa Brava and Montserrat are really enjoyable and give you the chance to experience different areas in Spain. To future participants definitely go to Montijüic for sunset with chocolate and drinks. Also Bogatell is my favorite beach. There is a nice spot where you can jump off a pier into the water. For great food for cheap Carrer de Blai has Pintchos for 1.25 Euros each. For great tapas Pepita has some of my favorites. Disfrúatalo tí@s

Traveling and living abroad is amazing no matter what city you are in. If you are committed to learning something new about yourself, I promise you traveling is the way to do it. I have experienced an extremely healthy dose of uncomfortability this summer that has coaxed me into becoming a more understanding, patient individual. Every single person can benefit from leaving their comfort zone. You just have to be willing to try.

For me, Barcelona might have been too easy. I wish I would have practiced more Spanish. Regardless, learning about a different culture and observing how people interact differently than what you are used to is extremely interesting. One of my favorite parts about this adventure was how much I learned about people, and about myself.

My semester in Salamanca, Spain was one that I will never forget. I learned so much about myself while getting to see so much of the world. AIFS was amazing and so helpful with helping me prepare to go abroad, getting abroad, while I was abroad, and even after my return home. I never felt like I was alone, even though I took on this journey completely by myself. The program was set up to where there were many activities that allowed everyone to meet and get to know each other, activities that showed us around our new home, and even excursions that allowed us to travel in a safe and informative way. This program gave me some of my best friends that i am so thankful for finding and I owe all of that to AIFS for allowing this to happen.
My homestay experience was second to none and was the best decision I made for myself. I was placed in a home of a single woman who quickly became a true second mom to me. She was very outgoing, warm, kind, and extremely helpful. My house abroad felt like my home in the U.S. and I always felt comfortable and calm. This was especially important during the beginning weeks when everything was so new and foreign to me. Our house was centrally located and in a very safe area. I was able to walk to the city center in less than five minutes and the location was incredible. I still keep in contact with my host mom and look forward to getting to see her again.
The classes provided were great and set up in a way that allowed us to still have free time on weekends as long as you stayed busy and focused in class. The professors were very educated and challenged us everyday to speak as much Spanish as possible to help us learn. They saw so much potential in all their students and encouraged us to see that same potential in ourselves.
Overall, this program was all around such a great experience and made going abroad such an easy process. I recommend this program and location to all students. It changed my life and I will always have a home in Salamanca and with the AIFS staff.

The staff with AIFS Barcelona made my experience amazing. I recently went back to Barcelona and visited all my professors at the UAB and the staff at the Barcelona office. This office is more of a family. I was abroad for a year and I attribute a lot of the reasons as to why i didnt get homesick because of them. What I also found really exiting and unique about this experience were the catalan classes they offered for students. I took full advantage of those classes and continued to utilize them for anytime I had catalan related questions. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone.
What i found to be the most impressive thing about this program was how much the staff really cared about you. I often found myself in and out of the hospital during my year abroad which should have been a scary experience, but because I had the staff there they made it pain free. They accompanied me to the hospital and were there to answer any questions I had. Although I spoke spanish and techicnally did not need them, they were still always there for me.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to visit Europe and specifically Barcelona, Spain. Mostly because I saw Cheetah Girls 2 when I was younger. Despite my strong desire, I was still relatively nervous when I discovered the opportunity through AIFS to study abroad in my dream city to complete my Spanish minor. However, any worries or anxieties I had quickly disappeared as soon as I stepped foot in the city and immediately fell in love. First of all, the warm greeting by the AIFS staff was truly heartfelt and very much appreciated as I could tell how much they cared about us students. Even though I went by myself, I quickly made friends not only with other AIFS students but also with locals. The best part, and also what I am most proud of, was how drastically my Spanish speaking abilities improved! I previously had always struggled to speak Spanish in my classes at my home university. Being in Spain however, allowed me to gain the much needed confidence to allow my abilities to flourish. Aside from all of the great times I had in Barcelona, being able to travel all around Europe was a plus too! Even though I have been back in America for over 6 months, a part of my heart will always be in Spain as I search daily for opportunities to return.

I studied abroad in Barcelona Spain through AIFS for the academic year. It was an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend to anyone. I definitely got my money's worth and the home stay they paired me with was amazing.

While abroad a tore my meniscus and was sent to several appointments at the local hospital. This may have been intimidating if I was by myself. But the AIFS local barcelona staff accompanied me each time and acted as both both translators and just generally good company during the very stressful experience of being in the hospital in another country.

The staff also gives tours of the city and available 24/7 for any questions and concerns during my year abroad. I had an amazing experience studying abroad in Barcelona and account most of that amazing experience to the AIFS staff.

Another great thing to add, at the beginning of the semester they host Catalan classes! This I have found helpful to this day.

Studying abroad in Barcelona with AIFS was the greatest experience of my life! My apartment with AIFS was very nice and was only a 7 minute walk from the UAB Sant Pau campus which was very convenient. My random roommates with AIFS ended up being some of my greatest friends ever! AIFS offers an array of cultural activities that allows students to immerse themselves into the culture and get to know people in the program. The program directors are the nicest and most helpful people! Inma is a saint and my experience wouldn't have been the same with the AIFS program staff! Anything you need the AIFS staff will help you with, from helping you get a phone to taking you to the doctor to translate for you when you are sick. I went to Switzerland and Morocco on weekend trips with AIFS and they were some of my favorite weekends! I felt so comfortable going to Morocco with the AIFS staff and had the most amazing experience! I highly recommend AIFS and Barcelona to anyone who is trying to have there best summer, semester, or year abroad!