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Phone: (217) 244-7245
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Comments about ESADE from Past Participants
Useful Advice
"How to work with people from all over the world in an unknown environment – that can really open one’s mind. I don’t think I will ever be around so many international people again working as a group like I was at ESADE.
I would give my study abroad experience in Barcelona an 8 out of a 10. It was a life changing experience, absolutely amazing. The ONLY disappointing part about it was the fact that people only speak Catalan there. They all speak Spanish, but they hate to speak it."
- Milena Markman, Fall 07
"I improved my Spanish, learned how to adapt and integrate into to another culture, interacting with people from different backgrounds. I can’t say enough about my experience studying abroad. I would highly recommend studying in Barcelona or anywhere for that matter because you immerse yourself in other cultures and learn about looking at the world from another point of view, which builds character and makes you appreciate your time abroad." - Richard Drew, Fall 07
"I really enjoyed the people that I met. They were people from all over the world with different experiences studying abroad in Barcelona. I learned so much from them. I learned to be more open minded. I learned that there is so much more to learn, see, and experience in life. Being in Champaign for most of my college life has made me sheltered and it was a great experience to go out and see the world.
I would say it was a fantastic experience and would recommend others to go on a study abroad trip before they graduate." - Kevin Zhang, Fall 07
"The most valuable lesson that I learned during my time abroad was not to be afraid to step out of my comfort zone. Before I left on this trip, I was extremely nervous; in fact, I almost called the whole thing off the night before I left. Forcing myself to go into a new situation and feel my way around in a foreign country provided an extreme sense of accomplishment, and set a strong precedent in how I will deal with future career and personal issues."
-Stephen Gottesman, Spring 07
"I wish I had known more about the weather, as I did not pack nearly enough cold-weather clothing. I also wish I would have been better informed about travel and living expenses. I greatly underestimated the cosst of studying abroad."
-Kelly Maynard, Spring 07
"Plan travels as far in advance as possible - the earlier, the cheaper it will be. Research travel to and from airports; compare bus, cab. Research housing - hostels, hotels, friends, etc. (sometimes hotels could be as cheap as hostels so don't rule them out!) Look at Skyscanner.com for cheap airfare; RyanAir was a bad experience - AVOID. Any money you save with them from cheap airfare with RyanAir you lose in time and money spent traveling from peripheral airports outside major cities. Buy a guidebook and use it. Use Aeroporto shuttle to get to the airport - it's fast and cheap! "
-Mike LaBelle, Spring 07
"Take precautionary steps to reduce risk of being robbed - wastebelt, neck pack to wear under shirt, etc. I recommend setting up alternate checking account w/credit card; keep in separate place in event you get robbed so you won't be cut off from money (I did have a credit card eaten by an ATM - so this helped!) Keep important emergency contact info and personal contact info readily available. Try to avoid keeping ALL of your valuables and important items in one place at any given time. If you can get an apartment on a top floor, it is probably safer; we knew people who lived on a first floor and had their apartment broken into and robbed."
-Mike LaBelle, Spring 07
"Travel with one carry-on bag if possible that will last you up to one week; many problems occur with checking bags; packing light and in one bag saves time and unneeded stress."
-Mike LaBelle, Spring 07
"I wish I had known to bring more money, more socks, and a lot of medicine."
-Ryan Feldt, Spring 07
"The experience was unbelievable and I learned a lot about myself and tried to do as many things outside my comfort zone as possible. I would tell any future study abroad students to go with an open mind and do as much as you can because time flies by."
-Ryan Feldt, Spring 07
"For communication I recommend skype and googletalk; set these up before you leave and make sure you have a mic/headphones; you can get a cheap cell phone plan - if interested, ask around at ESADE because they have special student discount that someone can direct you toward."
-Mike LaBelle, Spring 07
"I expected studying abroad to change my life and I came back with the entire experience far surpassing my lofty expectations. I truly believe that you can get as much or as little out of your time abroad as possible. If you go with an open mind but are committed to challenge yourself and see as much as possible, there are no limits to what you'll experience. It was great to learn SO much in a semester, but have very little of it be related to balance sheets or financial statements. Best of luck and take me with you."
-Mike VanAcker, Spring 07
"This was easily the greatest experience of my life and something that has helped me to grow in ways that I never would have otherwise. I would recommend that students go abroad knowing at least one person but meet as many new people as possible. This really teaches you how to willfully step out of your comfort zone - a great life skill. I would also encourage students to do anything and everything they can to prevent from having regrets after they return from their time abroad. Being conscious of money is fine, but do not let it dictate your traveling and impact your cultural experience. Going abroad has made me able to relate to so many different people of all different cultures and life experiences. I would do it ten times over if I could."
-Kelly Maynard, Spring 07
“It was amazing, and I learned a lot. I think future study abroad students should keep an open mind in choosing where they go and make a strong effort to get to know the locals/other international students instead of only hanging out with other Americans.
“Overall, I would give my study abroad a grade of A. I had a great chance to meet people from all over the world, which really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I now have friends in Sweden, France, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and other parts of the world. I also got to see how a different culture chooses to teach its students about the business world. Although I was nervous at first about living in a completely different and new country, I found that it was quite easy to do, and the freedom helped me grow as a person. I would recommend all students to consider going abroad. You can’t do anything but benefit from it, as a student, and as a human being.” – Matt Barcus, Sp 05
“Overall, the experience was life changing. I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning about other cultures. You will meet a lot of friends and try to make the most of every chance you get. People will be traveling and going out; so try to join with others as much as possible. You can learn something from everyone, so make the most of every opportunity because time will fly when you are over there. But if you make the most of it, it will be one of the best experiences of your entire life.” – Brian Acks, Sp 05
“Study abroad overall was far and away the best thing I have ever done in College. I think an important thing about the ESADE program that should be mentioned is that you can arrive in Barcelona in mid-January, take a set of 4 classes, backpack around Europe for a month, and be home a month before the U of I lets out. This is part of what makes ESADE so attractive. I was able to have a full set of classes, travel all that I wanted (14 Countries in 30 days!), and still get home with plenty of time before my summer internship. For people doing summer internships, this is an ideal situation.” – Robert Meier, Sp 05
“My overall experience was amazing. I would highly recommend the program to other study abroad students. I would tell them to start saving their euros.” – Bryan Bach, Sp 05
“I have enjoyed my experience abroad, but while ESADE is a good university, I think that students at public universities have better experiences in terms of integrating with students. It was my impression that exchange students at ESADE clump together, and that pre-established social groups (since ESADE is private, cliques are prevalent) are difficult to break into. However, I was very lucky with my roommates (2 Spanish girls and a German girl) and I have enjoyed the city very much from a cultural standpoint. My Spanish has improved significantly, and I decided to stay another semester, so I clearly feel I have more to gain from being here academically, professionally, linguistically and personally.” – Karah Byrnes, Fall 04 & Sp 05
“I loved my study abroad experience and would not change it for anything. It is something I think everyone who has the opportunity should do. I think I learned a lot when I was away and had fun in the process of doing it. Being immersed into a new culture really opens up your eyes and really helps you to grow as a person. You get to experience a lot of different things, meet new people, obtain friendships from all over the country and world and see the day-to-day life of other countries. Visiting and living in a foreign country are such different things. You get so much more out of living there.”
“I would want future study abroad students to know that they should not be afraid to try new things and keep an open mind. The cultures are so different but it is so interesting to see the differences, and sometimes the similarities. If possible, take the opportunity to travel throughout Europe because while you are over there it is so easy and cheap but also make sure to keep up with classes. Also, I noticed that many exchange students can end up with a really nice schedule of only Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday classes so they can travel a lot but I think it is also important to take classes that are interesting to you no matter what day they are taught. Lectures are long and it makes it so much easier and fun when you take a class you enjoy and can really learn from.” – Lizette Arreola, Fall 04
“I really liked my study abroad experience and I definitely think anybody should study abroad at least once. Study abroad offers you the opportunity to see who you really are and challenges you as a person by showing everyone else and yourself that you can survive and live successfully in another country, especially if that country speaks a different language than you speak. It also gives you a whole other perspective on life. It’s to be expected that you will experience some culture shock but later on you look at those experiences as kind of funny and quirky.” – Vicky Bateman, Fall 04
"I was able to sign up for a language partner from eSADE (highly recommend!!) and she taught me so much about the Catalan culture, Spanish culture, and language. We would meet for 2 hours each week and speak an hour in Spanish and an hour in English."
-Stephanie Chin, Spring '07
Location
"Barcelona is an amazing city and I have absolutely nothing to complain about. The city’s infrastructure and transportation system are super developed, and also relatively safer compared to other cities of its size. From all the cities I have been to, Barcelona is about one of the best ones a student can pick to study abroad." - Milena Markman, Fall 07
"Barcelona’s geographic location is ideal for cheap travel in Western Europe and Morocco. It would be a good idea to plan these trips within the first couple of weeks of being there to take advantage of low fares." - Richard Drew, Fall 07
"The location was great because Barcelona is absolutely beautiful. It has both the mountain and sea surrounding the city. Did not really have anything undesirable about the location."
- Kevin Zhang, Fall 07
"Barcelona is a huge cosmopolitan city situated directly between a range of mountains on one side, and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. The weather was consistently divine; sunny and about 65 degrees Fahrenheit was the norm, which less than 10 rain days during the four months I lived there. Overall, ESADE and Barcelona, Spain were both amazing choices for my study abroad semester. I received an unmatchable international business perspective, traveled around Europe, and networked considerably with young, future business leaders from around the world. I would recommend this program to anyone who would be interested in living in one of the most popular, beatiful, bustling and culturally intriguing cities in Western Europe."
-Stephen Gottesman, Spring 07
"It was incredibly easy to travel throughout Europe from Barcelona. Being on the coast was ideal, and it was also nice to be in a large city with easy access to entertainment, nightlife, shopping, restaurants, etc. Being in a large city was also important for me as a business student. It provided exposure to the corporate environment of Spain."
-Kelly Maynard, Spring 07
"I wish I would have taken a bit more initiative to take advantage of the people that had been abroad before me. I remember when we started planning our trips, we were very gung-ho about it and learned some hard lessons instead of relying on people who knew what airline, airport, etc. was best. I also wish I would have known a bit more about Barcelona itself and where we wanted to live. I think we were a bit naive in expecting to have the pick of the litter in terms of apartments and location whereas in reality, we should have had a better understanding of where exactly we wanted to be."
-Mike VanAcker, Spring 07
“Barcelona is a very international city. There were a lot of people from all over the world studying and living there. The city is the second largest in Spain, so it offers everything: all kinds of museums, shopping, eating, and nightlife. It is right in between the beach and the mountains and there are a lot of nearby villages that are gorgeous. The public transportation system is amazing and the city is easily accessible by plane, train, or bus all over Europe.”
“Barcelona is in Catalonia, which is very separate from Spain, so it is somewhat of a non-Spanish experience. Most of the people choose to speak Catalan, even though they all know how to speak Castellano (Spanish) as well.” – Pam Zhang, Sp 06
“During my experience the location was good because I was situated in a populated but peaceful town yet still situated close to school. In order to find our apartment, two friends and I chose to use a service. It was a company that finds people available and suitable apartments for a small fee. If you are having trouble finding a place to stay, I would try using a service. They are definitely very helpful.”
“The undesirable thing about my location was that it was about as close to school as possible, yet still not close enough. I had to walk to the metro everyday, take the metro for ten minutes, and then walk another twenty minutes to class. At least it was good exercise.” – Matt Barcus, Sp 05
“I was ecstatic to study in Barcelona because I had visited there before. I knew I wanted to study in Spain since I was a junior in high school and I was glad that I got the opportunity. I loved everything about Barcelona. It is known as having the greatest nightlife in Europe. While there I met people from all over the world. I still try to keep in touch with all of these people”
“The worst thing about Barcelona is the high crime rate. Everyone says that Barcelona has the most muggings and pickpockets in all of Europe. While I was there, about 90% of the people I was with were either threatened on the street or had a wallet/purse stolen. I experienced it first hand towards the end of my stay there. I was out alone late at night, and someone approached me and eventually knocked me down, took my wallet and ran away. If you ever find yourself in these situations, walk quickly to a public area. Find out right away where the police station is once you get there. I’d like to say that the pickpocket rumor isn’t true, but unfortunately it’s the one thing that I don’t like about Barcelona.” – Brain Acks, Sp 05
“Barcelona is a fantastic city with great culture, nightlife, beaches and weather. There is always something to do and the atmosphere is really fun. Everyone is very laid back and not in any kind of rush.” – Robert Meier, Sp 05
“Barcelona is a very international city. This allowed me to gain a unique perspective regarding the student cultures formed across the globe and how different communities have different styles of teaching and learning. It was a city so it had an immense quantity of activities. There were many exchange and Erasmus students to hang out with.”
“ESADE was on the very outskirts of Barcelona making it a commute each class day. Being such an international city made it less of a Spanish cultural and language program.” – Bryan Bach, Sp 05
“Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city with many opportunities for vast cultural exchange. The tendency to de-stress here due to access to the beach year-round is an advantage, as well as the ability to absorb a rich historical setting, wild nightlife, and innovative architecture. However, if a student’s objective is to learn Spanish, a location such as Madrid would be a better location. Young people often speak Catalan with their fellow students and friends, and an exchange student cannot expect an entire group of people to change their language mode for them. This makes integration with peers complicated, though not impossible. The experience is one of Catalonia, not Spain. This should be emphasized since there is virtually no end to the list of cultural as well as linguistic differences between Madrid and Barcelona.” – Karah Byrnes, Fall 04 & Sp 05
“I enjoyed the city feel of the location. I was able to experience different cultural events that took place (festivals, parades, etc). Living in a bigger city made it easy to get around within the city (metro, bus system, and taxi) as well as being able to travel to other places in Spain and Europe. Everything I needed was close by and convenient. The weather was also nice throughout my stay there.”
“The only undesirable thing is that I did not feel very safe at night but that would be in any location. I think I just felt that way because I did not know much about the crime rates or legal system in that country.” – Lizette Arreola , Fall 04
“What I liked about Barcelona was the feel of the city. Very soon the city seemed to feel like a home to me and I would look forward to coming back after a weekend of travel. It’s definitely a very cosmopolitan city and has a very good nightlife. One of the things I enjoyed most about staying in Barcelona was going to new places in the city and seeing all the unique places it had to offer. My roommates and I liked to go and try a new and exciting restaurant we saw or heard about. In the US it seems like all the restaurants we went to were unique, and had new and exciting concepts that were refreshing to me. Also, it was really nice that Barcelona was right by the beach and I would spend a lot of time there. The climate of Barcelona was always very nice and in the winter it never got down to more than like 30 and most of the time it was around 50 which was definitely a lot warmer than other parts of Spain that I went to” – Vicky Bateman, Fall 04
Courses
"Courses at ESADE were easy. That was the best part of it. They are only once a week and super easy compared to the courses at the U of I. Teachers are ESADE are extremely unprofessional compared to the ones at the U of I. At least the courses I have had, the professors never replied to e-mails, didn’t have office hours, never told me anything about my progress in the course (even when I asked) and called students back at 11 or 11:30 at night (!). Also, group work makes up for 90% of all course grades." - Milena Markman, Fall 07
"Taking courses at ESADE was interesting because you had small classes (12-50) with students from Barcelona, Spain, Europe, Africa, Asia, South and North America. For the most part, each class is 3 hours but you only have one or two classes a day. You can arrange your schedule so you don’t have classes on Thursday or Friday—ideal for travel and long weekends." - Richard Drew, Fall 07
"Majority of the courses had professor whose English was hard to understand.
The courses were not difficult at all. They were easy to manage especially with a study abroad student’s schedule." - Kevin Zhang, Fall 07
"The courses introduced me to some very new and exciting topics, and allowed me to experience an international business perspective unlike anything I could have tried to involve myself with in the States. On the negative, the content had very little to do with my major, and the courses themselves had no real reinforcement of concepts taught (i.e. very few quizzes, tests, exams, etc.)"
-Stephen Gottesman, Spring 07
"I enjoyed all my courses as they were business classes with very interesting and different topics. There were a lot of case studies that introduced me to the European approach to business."
-Ryan Feldt, Spring 07
"I liked being able to take business courses outside my Accounting/Finance concentration. It was also nice to get outside the normal U of I curriculum and go to a more discussion-based school for a semester. the ESADE faculty was extremely well-qualified and experts in their fields. The students were also extremely well-qualified and experts in their fields. The students were also extremely talented, driven, and knowledgeable. they were also from all over the world, which was a cool experience."
-Mike VanAcker, Spring 07
"I would recommend future students consider taking "intensive" courses, which can be on interesting topics and run for one to two weeks, thus allowing for more free time to explore and travel the city."
-Mike LaBelle, Spring 07
"Our courses allowed us a lot of freedom to be creative, and also to get our work done when we had time. The emphasis on case studies and group projects and presentations allowed us to travel and often complete our work on our own schedule. The emphasis on ethics throughout our courses opened my eyes to an entirely new aspect of business. Also, integrating with students from around the world and being trusted and treated like adults were sources for personal growth."
-Kelly Maynard, Spring 07
“The courses were taught in either Spanish or English, allowing us to choose based on our own comfort level. Taking a course in Spanish really helps improve language abilities. Additionally, many of the courses combined exchange students with Spanish students, which helped us make foreign friends.”
“Courses are several hours a day but only one day a week. This can be good for traveling, but bad in regards to how much you learn. Sometimes the Spanish courses would involve group work, and many of the Spanish students spoke Catalan among each other, which made it difficult.” – Pam Zhang, Sp 06
“My courses were challenging because they were in Spanish, but the teachers were very understanding and passionate. They understand that it is a very different situation studying in a different country, and they will accommodate the students to the best of their abilities. When choosing courses, I would try to pick the courses that sound most interesting to you rather than focusing on what may fulfill a requirement you need. Most times you can still fulfill your requirements but at the same time they will be a lot easier if you are interested in the subjects, especially if the course is taught in a different language, like Spanish.”
“The bad thing about some courses was the language barrier. Although I have been in Spanish courses, and am quite fluent, it can be difficult to understand certain teachers because of the way they pronounce their dialect. Some teachers are easy to understand, others are very hard to understand. I would recommend trying to find classes in Spanish were you can easily understand the teacher. If you can’t understand them, you should think about changing to a different teacher if possible, or a different class.” – Matt Barcus, Sp 05
“The courses were not too challenging at all. Teachers understand that you are an exchange student and just want you to come to class. I never heard of anyone failing a class over there. While it is hard to get an A in a class, it is almost impossible NOT to get a B. To get a B, you need 51% of the points in the class. In the classes that are taught in Spanish, Spanish students will help you out a lot and even set up groups so that non-Spanish speakers were with Spanish speakers. If you want to focus on grades, you will have to work a reasonable amount. Otherwise, do not worry about your grades. Just go to class and you will pass. Besides, class is where most people end up making plans for the night or weekend.”
“There really wasn’t anything I didn’t like about the courses. It is difficult to interact with the Spanish-speaking students. Most Spanish speakers interact with themselves and international students interact with the English-speaking students. It was nice interacting with students from Europe and all over the world. The school is an international school with about 75% Spanish students and 25% international students. The courses aren’t time demanding at all, and I thought they were really interesting and have a wide range of subjects that aren’t available at the U of I.” – Brain Acks, Sp 05
“It was nice to be able to choose between courses in Spanish and English. The classes were very small and teachers would often come and have a snack or drink with students during class breaks (the classes are 4 hours long) or afterward. It was very easy to get connected to other students or teachers via class. Also, teachers were brilliant and very enthusiastic about teaching. You immediately can see they love to teach and are passionate about their subject.”
“The only way you could take a course for your major is if you take them in Spanish. The only English classes offered would end up being free electives” – Robert Meier, Sp 05
“The courses were generally quite easy. The professors were quite interesting and class was usually different each week. Lots of group work. In addition we had a variety of guest speakers and lectures and helped contribute real life experience, which supplemented the core theories and concepts.” – Bryan Bach, Sp 05
“I enjoyed my classes very much and found the cross-variety of Spanish and English spoken courses to be sufficient. I felt that the work load fall semester was lighter than that of my current semester. Overall, however, the workload is quite manageable with travel as long as a student only takes the minimum of four curses. Five courses make the week too busy, particularly with the emphasis on group work in many classes.” – Karah Byrnes, Fall 04 & Sp 05
“The courses taken were fairly comparable to those at U of I (workload, content). The main difference was that 3 were taken in Spanish and 1 was in English. Another difference was that they met once a week for three to four hours at a time but it was nice to see how other countries educate. The professors were very willing to help the exchange students had they not understood something. It was also good way to meet Spanish people and get to work with those students. I believe we learned a lot from each other.”
“The one complaint about the courses is that we had no way of keeping track of how we were doing throughout the semester. Some professors would not give out grades or the only basis for a grade was either an exam or presentation at the end of the semester. I did not like the fact that for two of my classes my grade was based on one item. There was really no preparation for exams and so it was a bit difficult since we did not know what to expect as exchange students. Professors could have been a bit clearer with the expectations.” – Lizette Arreola, Fall 04
“I found the courses that I took very interesting and even more interesting than classes here at U of I. I felt that I got to know a more global perspective in business that will be very helpful later on in my career. The teachers of ESADE were very knowledgeable in their fields and I learned a lot under them. After taking courses at ESADE which were more specific than general intro classes that I had previously taken at U of I, I was able to more fully understand what I wanted to do later on in my career because before that I was unsure whether I liked business anymore.” – Vicky Bateman, Fall 04
ESADE classes meet once a week for three hours; it is really easy to have classes only Mon-Wed. This allows a lot of flexibility in traveling. There are also intense week-long classes that are good if any look interesting to you; these really help to free up the lass load as the semester goes on."
-Stephanie Chin, Spring '07
Housing
"I lived at an apartment in one of Barcelona’s best neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are something to watch out for, since the city is big and has some shady parts too.
Housing in Barcelona is extremely expensive. All students spent at least 600 dollars a month with rent, utility bills, and heat (not including food)." - Milena Markman, Fall 07
"Finding housing was challenging but it’s a wake up call that you are in another country
The best source to find housing is using loquo.com (Barcelona’s version of craig’s list). ESADE can refer you to some housing agents that have rooms for rent, however, I would stay away from one in particular, Christina—known to have a lot of strict rules and charges for overnight guests. Personally, I would try to share a flat with other international students. This way you can immerse your self in the true study abroad experience. They best way to find housing is to book a hostel for a few nights (maybe up to 6 days) and then begin your search. You can expect rent to between 330-475 euros."
- Richard Drew, Fall 07
"The landlord we had was really friendly. We heard a lot of horror stories about landlords and not getting security deposits back but our landlord was very accommodating.
It was frustrating to have to find apartments after arriving in Barcelona. We did not find an apartment until two weeks after our arrival." - Kevin Zhang, Fall 07
"I chose to live in an apartment with one roommate close to Plaza Espana. The only issues came at the beginning of my trip, because the two schools (U of I and ESADE) do absolutely nothing to help students find housing. I lived on some friends' (who I had just met) floor for the first week of my trip before I had finally work my housing out (by myself.) After that it was amazing; I had a really nice apartment with a balcony in a good location of the city."
-Stephen Gottesman, Spring 07
"It was very overwhelming to arrive in the city and be responsible for our own housing with very little guidance."
-Mike VanAcker, Spring 07
"Housing prices were reasonable, and we were offered options for Internet necessary for our lifestyle as students and travelers. It was easy to find a place with access to all of the necessary resources (groceries, transportation, banks, etc.) Living in an apartment offered us freedoms that we would not have had in a dorm or with a host family."
-Kelly Maynard, Spring 07
"We didn't have any help from U of I or from ESADE with regards to housing which made it difficult to make any arrangements until we got to Barcelona."
-Ryan Feldt, Spring 07
“I went to Spain not knowing where I would be living. I stayed at a hotel with my friend Matt Barcus and we ended up finding a place in an area call Gracia. Living in Gracia ended up being the best thing for me. Gracia was the area where most students lived and where all the bars and clubs were easily accessible. It is an inexpensive and safe neighborhood and as far as I am concerned, the best place to live as a student in Barcelona.”
“If I could go back, I would have decided to live with Spanish people. Some friends found apartments that were subletting a room and lived with them and had a great time. Their Spanish improved a lot more than mine because they spoke Spanish with their roommates and were able to ask more questions about grammar and everything. I definitely do NOT recommend staying at the Residencia student housing. Everyone who lived there hated it and most people ended up moving out and living in apartments.” – Brian Acks, Sp 07
“I lived with a family, which was perfect. I had no idea where I was going to live when I showed up, but I flew into Barcelona on Sunday afternoon and decided to go straight to an evening church service that night. I started chatting with the people afterwards and the pastor’s family ended up offering to take me home for a couple days and help me find a place to live. We hit it off right away, and I ended up living with their family for the duration of my semester. The good thing about living with a family is that it’s usually cheaper (I paid 300 euro a month and had all food, utilities, etc paid for), you get to truly experience the culture, you are forced to practice your Spanish, and you can store your stuff there while you travel. Living with a family was the best decision I made.” – Robert Meier, Sp 05
“The student sets up housing individually. This was good because we each had unique arrangements. It can be tough finding your own housing in a foreign country.” – Bryan Bach, Sp 05
The best way to locate roommates is to check local listings. The one I found most useful was: http://www.habitatgejove.com/arrel_eg/index.html. I suggest recommending students find a hostel in a safe area of the city center, partnering up with another student for security and cost effectiveness. Students should be encouraged to live with Catalan/Spanish people and not with other, as the cultural experience is more significant this way and does not cripple students into just living their usual American life in a different setting. I saw this happen to many students from North America, and in the end, they missed many experiences, particularly with respect to developing their language skills.” – Karah Byrnes, Fall 04 & Sp 05
The fact that we were able to live in apartments on our own was a great way to get integrated into the city and culture. It really gave a sense of independence. I was able to live with a Spanish girl and we were able to learn a lot from each other. It also helped me in meeting new people whenever I had questions (where to go for certain things, what is the custom, etc.) she was always there to give me advice. I believe that if I had lived with a family I would have felt constrained and living in a dorm I wouldn’t have felt as independent or had the same experience and learn as much as I did from being on my own.”
“It was very difficult at first to find housing on your own. Other than that I have no complaints.” – Lizette Arreola, Fall 04
“Since we were required to find our own housing, I searched for apartments located more in the center of Barcelona because the residence hall recommended by U of I was in the outskirts of Barcelona and therefore very inconvenient. I actually had to go through two apartments in order to find the one that worked well for me. The 2nd apartment that I found was very nice, and I got to meet some very cool people who were my roommates. I had three roommates: a girl from Rome, and a couple from Mallorca, an Island off of Spain. We would constantly compare our respective countries, languages, and answer questions about them. It was hilarious and I learned a lot about their cultures because of this. I’m very happy I was able to live in their apartment, and I also had to learn about a wide variety of things I was not familiar with beforehand like lighting a gas stove.”
“This was by far the most stressful part of the whole study abroad experience. We were responsible for finding our own housing which was very difficult. Especially when you first get off the plane, Barcelona can be a city which overwhelms you and it is kind of difficult to get around at first because the streets are structured differently than in the United States. Also, I had a bad experience with my first apartment because I rushed into finding an apartment and did not choose wisely. I therefore had to find another apartment which was again very stressful for me but luckily I did find a place that I liked although I was not able to have Internet at the place because it takes a ridiculously long time to install Internet in Spain.”
"I would say housing is the one downfall of this program. No official housing is provided and you are left to find it on your own. It is easy to find an apartment; this is what most students do, but it can be overwhelming to do when you have just arrived in a new country. I would recommend you book a place over the Internet (apartmentramblas.com) before you arrive for the first week you are there and then take that first week to look for a place for a semester. We ended up using an agency called Barcelona Home, Barcelona-home.com, which worked out really well. But thank goodness we found them."
-Stephanie Chin, Spring 07
Costs
"I spent about 35 euros per week on food. $0-- ESADE provides all the necessary materials for a course." - Richard Drew, Fall 07
"I spent about 30 euros on average which is around 50 dollars. I did not spend any money on textbooks." - Kevin Zhang, Fall 07
"I spent between 50-75 Euros weekly on food. Textbooks were provided for free by ESADE."
-Stephanie Chin, Spring '07
"Living with roommates, we pooled expenses and bought food at the local markets (La Boqueria!!). With five people contributing we could go a week on 25-50 Euro per person for food. However, if one were to eat out every meal for lunch and dinner all week, I suspect food would run somewhere beetween 125 and 175 euros a week."
-Mike LaBelle, Spring 07
"I spent 50-80 Euros a week on food. Textbooks were free at ESADE, and I spent about 100 Euros on supplies."
-Ryan Feldt, Spring 07
"When I was in Barcelona, only eating at home, I could get by on 30 Euros a week ($40). When I was traveling or eating out a lot, weekly food expendirures often exceeded 80 Euros ($108). Textbooks were no cost to me, so I spent nothing at all on those."
-Stephen Gottesman, Spring 07
"ESADE provided our textbooks free of charge."
-Mike VanAcker, Spring 07
