Marie S - Barcelona, Spain - Spring 2015

Hello CPP 250!

My name is Marie and I have been studying in Barcelona, Spain for a little over a month now through IES. It’s crazy to think that in only 3 short months I will already be leaving this beautiful city to return back to the states, time really flies when you are abroad. Use it wisely! 

Going abroad was the biggest decision I have made in my entire life, but I can honestly say it has been the best one yet. I definitely had some fears going into it because I have absolutely no sense of direction, have never taken public transportation alone, and have never been that long and far away from home. When I very first arrived, I did experience some jet-lag for about 2 weeks getting used to food, keeping myself hydrated, and sleep patterns. I went through culture shock and all I wanted to do was go back to my comfort, my familiarity, so I talked to everyone from home continuously online, but I continued to feel a huge sense of homesickness because everything here was still very new and different (do NOT worry everyone has different experiences).  It is my opinion and after experiencing it, the way to overcome this is to go out and see things like popular attractions or neighborhoods, learn about where you are living (you will find out it isn’t as different as you thought even with a language barrier), and talk to the locals or other people in your program. I found out a lot of people were going through the same exact thing as me!

 Being a whole month in now, I can strongly say I feel intensely more comfortable, understand my “daily routine”, and have an overall sense of what life is like living in Barcelona. I am in a homestay, my two roommates and I live with an older women in an adorable apartment that is just a 15 minute walk from the IES Center. It has been a great accommodation so far and my Spanish language skills are picking up rapidly, even with the Catalán language being present everywhere. Class-wise, there are only two things I am semi-struggling with: the 15 credit minimum (I have 3 classes a day), and that many of the classes here have no homework grades, therefore all of the points rely solely on your participation and exams, just participate and pay attention and you will be fine J IES does a great job with the Spanish-Placement exams because I feel I was placed in the perfect class for my language level. I also thought taking another class in Spanish and taking two of my classes at a local university (UAB) was going to be difficult, but it is certainly manageable! It is so nice that we do not have class on Friday because it has provided my friends and I plenty of opportunity to travel, experience the night life, and site-see! I am enjoying my time here in Barcelona, it is the most beautiful and safe city I have ever been. Please let me know of any questions you may have and good luck on preparing for your time abroad, wherever it may be!