Summer in Barcelona - Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona

This summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona! During my time in Spain, I was able to full immerse myself in the Spanish culture. To do so, CIS offered several excursions including Spanish cooking classes, dance classes, a catamaran trip up to Costa Brava, hikes, and tours of the city's famous attractions. I would highly recommend CIS Abroad Summer in Barcelona if you want to fully experience all that Barcelona has to offer.

I cannot recommend this program enough. My summer at UAB far exceeded my expectations. Going into it, I knew I was going to have a great summer but, I didn't know that it was going to be exceptionally amazing. From the moment I arrived, everything kept falling perfectly into place. My apartment was in the best possible location(and I had 8 roommates-yes, 8, with our own rooms which was possibly just pure luck, but we got along swimmingly and still keep in contact on a daily basis 6 months later), UAB was only 4 metro stops and a 4 block walk from my apartment, the weather was amazing, the culture was diverse, and getting around was easier than I thought. More on the UAB- I am currently a Senior, studying marketing. This program caught my eye because it offered upper level business classes that could most likely count as an equivalent to upper level (3000 and 4000) business classes at my home University(talk to your academic advisor and department head first if you need super specific credits). They have a wide array of classes to take which included Spanish classes(and maybe social studies study classes? I don't remember) and business classes. I ranked the 5 classes I wanted to take and got my first two choices: international marketing strategies and international business. Most rewarding classes I have ever taken- seriously. Both of my professors were amazing and so experienced. One had her doctorate in business and had lived all over the world and was extremely passionate about marketing. The other owned a multi-million dollar global business, retired to teach and had stories rich with experience. In both classes we did a lot of case studies(which I found very interesting) and had exams and homework that resembled actual classes like Universities at home. What made these classes great was that we weren't just memorizing things out of a book- we were learning about real business situations and how to apply business strategies and concepts to them. They were the most rewarding classes I have taken in my academic career. About Barcelona- I am obsessed with this city. before studying here, I had never traveled to Spain, but Barcelona always attracted me. There is something for everyone in this city. The food, the entertainment, the nightlife, the scenery, the culture , the people, the shopping, was just exceptional. The metro system is easy to understand and use and cabs are easy to hail (there wasn't uber when I was there but there may be now). One thing that makes Barcelona so great is the mountains mixed with the sea. One of my favorite sunsets of all time was from the Bunkers, watching the sun melt behind the mountains and then turning around and watching the moon reflect over the Balearic sea- honestly no other word to describe it but magical. If you are worried about not speaking Spanish- don't be, almost everyone speaks english and if they don't you will learn enough Spanish to get by easily( I used to be almost fluent but haven't studied Spanish in 3 years so I was extremely rusty but never had a problem). About the program- they provide several activities including weekend trips throughout the program. I went on one weekend trip to Costa Brava which was included in my program fees so I didn't pay a thing. It was a great way to get to know people outside of your roommates and classmates. There was also day trips, cooking classes, salsa classes, and the like. The on-site program directors were accessible and friendly. When our apartment was a couple hours late from being ready when it was supposed to- they took us out to lunch. When we had problems at our apartment-they helped communicate with the landlord. Knowing that they are there provides a peace-of-mind in case anything were to happen. My ONLY complaint about the entire 6 weeks(its really more like 7 weeks- once you get there you have a week free then 6 weeks of school) is that the wifi went out for an entire weekend and I was home alone(my roommates were all traveling) and my landlord wouldn't respond and I couldn't do my homework or much of anything. I have never missed a time or place like I miss my Summer at UAB. Saying goodbye to Barcelona was my hardest goodbye to date- not that I can't go back but I will never have that same experience again- with the same people in the same apartment taking the same classes with the same teachers. I think about it every single day and am constantly fighting the urge to buy a one way flight back. I made new friends(two of which I am seeing this weekend and have seen several times since being back in the U.S.) new experiences, new perspectives and most importantly, memories I will reflect on and value forever.

I knew that I would love Barcelona, I Just didn't know how much, and my expectations were BEYOND exceeded with the help of CISabroad. From the beginning, applying and preparing to go abroad all of the staff were extremely helpful in answering questions and making me feel prepared. Once I got there, it was super easy to find them at the airport and they delivered me to my apartment door, literally a 1 minute walk from Las Ramblas and the Christopher Columbus statue. Their orientations and welcome activities on site helped me get my bearings and make friends immediately. The classes and teachers were wonderful. There were many cultural activities to help immerse us in the culture from hikes, city tours and my favorite a cooking class. I'm not a super emotional person, but my roommates and I cried when it was time to leave and I cannot wait to go back. None of this would have been possible without CISabroad (and I'm actually planning to study abroad through them again, seriously that great).