It definitely sounds cliche, but my time abroad changed me as a person. Beginning to prepare to go abroad can be quite overwhelming and somewhat daunting, at least I felt this way. Ever since I was younger I knew I wanted to go abroad but my desire to

go to Spain came about in my senior year of high school. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture and live in a large city, so I chose Barcelona. I took extremely interesting classes during my time abroad at IES as well as UAB and was able to learn a lot more about globalization and different cultures through my classes. Having the opportunity to live in Barcelona was incredible. I adjusted quickly to taking the metro everywhere, finding new places to explore everyday. There is always something happening in the city so there is no time to be bored. I loved how I could escape the bustling city by going to a park or even the beach. I love being outdoors so having the beach right there was a big plus for me! Barcelona is also very central which made it extremely easy to travel to other places via train or plane. I learned so much abroad about people, life, culture, and relationships. I also was inspired by a new career path while I was abroad and am now pursuing that which I am very excited about!! If the chance to go abroad comes my way again I don’t think I will think twice about it. I cannot say enough about my experience abroad, it was truly life changing.

My study abroad experience will definitely be unforgettable. It allowed me to grow as I challenged myself to try new things and meet new people. I was very satisfied with the classes I took with my program and the many activities and cultural immersion

trips that my program offered which included hiking, wine tasting, and trips to explore other regions of Spain. I am so happy with the language skills I have picked up thanks to my Spanish class and my host family. My host family was incredibly welcoming, and I felt comfortable going to them for advice, recommendations or help. I am thankful for all the mini Spanish lessons I got from my host mom, talking to my host dad about politics and the jokes I shared with my roommates. I have made wonderful connections and learned so much from my program and my host family. I have also learned new things about myself like my ability to adapt well to new situations. I had a fantastic experience and I definitely recommend studying abroad with IES during your undergraduate experience.

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. 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. 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 DiscoverIES 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.

Studying abroad in a foreign country seemed like the last thing I wanted to do entering the summer before I left for Spain. As the time drew closer, the excitement and adventures that would await me across the globe turned that fear and reluctance into

pure excitement and adrenaline. This program did not let my expectations down. The experiences I had abroad were things I thought I would never get to experience in my life. Things like being present for a FC Barcelona Vs. Real Madrid game blew my expectations of how much life and spirit a city could really have. The traveling I did abroad through IES and on my own really opened my eyes to an entirely different world (literally and mentally). Through IES we went to places such as Tarragona and Girona, two cities with an incredible amount of history which me and my friends really took to heart. You would never expect to see partial castles and massive roman ruins that close to home. Some of the greatest memories I have abroad were on the trips lead by the IES staff. The staff was very knowledgeable about the areas and regions we were traveling in and the destinations we explored. They would also add their own insight and include information that only the locals would know, it made the experience that much more enjoyable. The IES staffs made the city really feel like home once we arrived at the airport. They gave us clear and concise instructions on what areas to avoid at night, which areas had fun activities to enjoy and where the most famous parts of the city were. They made sure we were fully prepared to live and function in Barcelona. The staff was also accessible either by phone or in their office to answer or address any concerns we might have had while abroad. The living accommodations I had mixed feelings about, certain people I talked to loved where they lived while other (including myself) felt they were something not so spectacular. I happened to live in a dorm (which was my first choice). What I soon realized was that most of the Spanish students and staff seemed to alienate us (the study abroad students) for some unknown reason. We were hazed by the senior students for a solid week before IES stepped in and made them stop. The staffs on the other hand seem to not want anything to do with us and made us feel alone when we needed something handed by them. Other than the issues with the staff and students, the dorm was in the middle of a beautiful, safe area of Barcelona which had very easy access to the IES center and the rest of the city via the metro/bus. Overall my experience abroad through IES Liberal Arts and Business Program was a great one and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interesting in that region of Spain. The staffs made me feel really comfortable in a foreign city and the experiences I had will be with me forever. The program was very well structured and student focused resulting in an amazing experience for myself and my fellow abroad students.