WorldStrides/ISA Spain: Barcelona Autonomous University at Sant Pau (Summer) : Reviews (Barcelona)

Loved it all, GO

The academics were great! In my art history class, we not only learned about the art history but we actually got to experience it as a class at the local art museum and also on our own personal travels through Europe. The Spanish class was very involved and probably one of my favorite classes I've ever been in during college.
Location: Barcelona is my new favorite city. What is there not to like?
I stayed in Residencia Onix and had the best time. The group of people I lived with in the same building instantly became my core group of friends. The location was perfect. The staff were incredibly helpful and nice. The furniture, bathrooms, and everything was in good condition.
For the most part, the locals in Barcelona were very helpful as long as you were courteous, nice, and not rude. Often times, even if they did not speak English, they would try and help you the best they could.
The excursions were very fun. The one thing I do have to say is there was A LOT of time in buses which seemed annoying but was worth it every time we got off. I liked the excursions because they were to places that you wouldn't normally visit on your own. Usually when you go to travel, you visit places like Rome, Amsterdam, Paris etc. but seeing the smaller cities in Spain and France really made me feel like I was better understanding the culture and overall feel of the European life.

Barcelona is an amazing city, it's very fast-paced and high energy. There is always something going on. If you want to make relationships with the locals then you need to steer away from the touristy locations, they won't go there! The excursions are really fun, Costa Brava was amazing!

The locations of the school and the apartment was close to everything! I interacted with locals whenever I was out and about!

Everything about my experience was amazing! I was fully immersed into the Barcelona culture by living in an apartment in a very local/working class area of the city, yet I felt comfortable and at home thanks to the awesome ISA staff. I learned a lot in my classes; my teachers were awesome, they were really understanding about students being tired from travel and helped by making classes interesting and fun. All excursions were awesome. So worth it!

The staff (on-site and off-site) was awesome. I felt prepared before leaving for Spain and was welcomed by staff when we got there who eventually became our friends too.

Orientations were long and heavy our first few days because everyone was tired. After that, everything was great. Excursions were awesome - I wouldn't change a thing.

I lived in a homestay. It was an amazing experience and I absolutely loved my host mom but if I did it again I think that I would live in the apartments. I'm generally a pretty independent person and I like cooking for myself and doing what I need or want to do when I need or want to do it. It was really comforting having someone to check in with and who was looking after me but I think I would have enjoyed the freedom of my own apartment.

Apartment; great fit. Barcelona public transportation is amazing. I used the metro every single day.

Barcelona City Planning & Architecture was a really interesting class taught by an amazing professor (Antoni Roja.) He was so funny and kept the class lively and engaging. It was so awesome to learn about how the city was built and why certain places were the way the were and then be able to apply that to what I was seeing when I explored the city.

The courses were very interesting and the teachers really knew what they were talking about!

I wish we had been on campus for more of a student feel, but my professors were awesome.

I did not spend a lot of time with locals but I wish that I had more. Most of my friends wanted to go to the touristy spots which made it hard to connect with locals. If you want to meet locals, go off the grid a little bit. Don't go to the main clubs and main spots but check out some other stuff and once you meet locals, ask them where they like to hangout!

For the most part I felt pretty safe. Some of my friends had some scary experiences in taxis. Just do your best to stay with a buddy and don't go wandering around by yourself at night.

I felt very safe! The locals in Barcelona are all very nice, however watch out for pick pocketing!

Try to speak Spanish as much as you can because Spanish waiters and most service employees will not give you the time of day if you speak English and are noticeably American.

It was extremely rewarding and I will carry it with me for the rest of my life. It's a growing experience more than anything else.