University: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
City: Barcelona
Country: Spain
Continent: Europe
Field of study: Business
Study type: semester abroad
PLANNING / INTRODUCTION DAY
When it came to planning the semester abroad, it was immediately clear to me that none of my university’s partner universities would come into question. Since we are a very small location, the partner universities were also in small, unknown cities. MicroEdu was therefore immediately the perfect alternative for me. I had so many universities to choose from, but I wasn’t 100% on my own. When I decided on Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, I was immediately helped with the planning. All formalities were closely controlled by MicroEdu and the team were always on hand to answer any questions I had! Check jibin123.com to see Semester Abroad In University of California Irvine.
Even when it came to finding an apartment, the team offered me their help and forwarded me some addresses. You can make all the decisions on your own, but always have a helping hand at your side – just the perfect combination!
All in all, the organization went really smoothly. I always felt that I was in good hands.
The UAB offered introductory days two days before the start of lectures. I went to the first appointment with very high expectations and was unfortunately a bit disappointed. I think all international students would have liked a little more interaction. However, we only expected a lecture of 1 hour and after that we were all on our own again. Nevertheless, you have already met many international students on this day!
CourseS / UAB
The first thing to say is that you’re studying on a UAB campus that only accepts international students, so unfortunately it’s not easy to come into contact with Spanish students. There are mainly Americans, Germans and Belgians on campus. A very positive aspect, however, is that the campus is right in the center ! So you study in the center of Barcelona, which I think is worth its weight in gold.
I took four courses at the UAB.
SPANISH BEGINNERS:
I made a conscious decision to take this course because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to learn Spanish. Before my semester abroad, I had no knowledge of Spanish, so I had to take a complete beginner’s course. I don’t regret the decision for a second! The course was incredibly fun and it is very important for me to speak the language of my “home country”. It’s so much fun to be able to order your café con leche in Spanish and to start understanding everyday things. I highly recommend everyone to take this course as it is very focused on speaking the language and not just grammar.
E-COMMERCE & ONLINE BUSINESSES:
This course focuses on creating an online presence in the form of a website, be it a new product or something similar. Furthermore, each student has to hold 2 small individual presentations and present another presentation in a team of 3. What I really liked about the course was that you learn how to create your own website using the wix.com program.
MANAGERIAL SKILLS FOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS:
Professor Maydo, she’s just absolutely amazing! Rarely have I met such a competent and at the same time humane professor. The focus of the course was to give us a practical and theoretical understanding of relevant topics such as time management, etc. The final grade consists of oral participation, attendance and two multiple choice finals.
CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT:
This course was by far my favorite! Professor Jean-Philippe is super nice, funny and helpful and attaches great importance to bringing the topic closer to all students. You learn a lot about business and dealing with other cultures in general. You get the chance to assess yourself with a “Personal Paper” and to position yourself in the international business world. This course is thought-provoking and combines business with culture.
LIVING IN BARCELONA
My recommendation is to look for a suitable room on all channels. I ended up finding my apartment through a Facebook group. If you search on Idealista, you usually have an incredible number of competitors and the chances are worse. The perfect areas to live in my opinion are El Born (!!!), Gotico and also certain parts of Raval. The city just has so much to offer and you will find numerous flat shares with international students from different universities.
COSTS
Courses: 3259€
Rent per month: 550€
Eating / drinking / partying per month: 600€
Train ticket for 3 months: 105€
Flights : 100€
I recommend everyone to apply for foreign BAföG, even if you do not receive domestic BAföG. It’s really incredible what a huge part of the tuition fees you can get reimbursed!
CONCLUSION
Barcelona – I love u! If you decide to go to Barcelona, this is definitely the best decision you can make! This city just has so much to offer – be it the good weather, the UAB, the numerous cultural offers or the best parties you have ever been to! The people are incredibly friendly and helpful.
The semester abroad gave me so many new friends from all over the world and numerous unforgettable experiences. GO FOR IT!
