Best Tips for Studying Abroad in Barcelona
Best Tips for Studying Abroad in Barcelona
My name is Sam Johnson, and I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain! I’m from Maple Grove, Minnesota and I’m 22 years old, attending the University of Minnesota Duluth where I study finance and mathematics.
This is me!
Today I will be giving the best tips towards having an amazing time in Barcelona while being safe at the same time!
#1: Get to know the people in your program!
When looking for programs, I made sure to check prices, excursions, and several other aspects of every program to determine which one was the perfect fit for me. When I came across Academic Studies Abroad and saw the excursions and prices they offered, I knew almost instantly it was the program I wanted. ASA provided a wide variety of events and new things for me to try almost every day! For example, we took a trip to Sevilla, which is a city in western Spain and visited Mt. Serrat as well.
Me and a friend in Sevilla, Spain
The view at Mt. Serrat
Now as for the people in my program...they couldn’t have been more perfect. Marta and Richard were my ASA Site Directors. They showed me the true beauty of not only the city of Barcelona but the country as a whole! As for students in my group, I didn’t see them as other students, I saw them as my friends. You can’t be afraid to try new things and meet new people each day. I was lucky enough to meet the love of my life as well.
#2: Respect the locals and practice your Spanish everyday!
The majority of the Barcelona residents were very nice! If you treated them with the same respect you would treat someone from your city, you would get along swimmingly. They were quiet and kept to themselves most of the time, and their choice of clothing style was completely different than American’s. They would typically dress pretty formal with rather tight-fitting apparel. For example, I would rarely see locals wearing sweatpants. The most common language people speak in Barcelona is Catalon. This is similar to Spanish but slightly different. A very common word used is “Vale” meaning “okay”. It’s fun to say too!
A majority of locals spoke Spanish and I wasn’t the best at this language, but I knew enough to get by. Luckily, I had a few friends who were fluent. I also took a Spanish speaking class to develop my skills. The course wasn’t within my major academic program, but it sure helped with my day to day living in the city. I also tried to practice on my Duolingo Spanish teaching app as much as possible each day. It was nice that a majority of the shops spoke some English, so if I had any trouble translating things they would offer assistance!
#3: Use the Metro, the airport and order cabs (they don’t allow Ubers)!
My main form of transportation while staying in Barcelona was the Metro. At the beginning of the program, we were taken to the train station to purchase the 3-month pass. It was around $140. Which by the end of the program was a very good deal for how much I utilized it.
As useful as this ticket was, there were a few issues with it. For starters, the ticket can rip easily if not taken care of, thus leading to not allowing you to get on the train on time. In the morning and evenings, the train can get extremely packed so watch for pic-pocketers (a few of my friends got their wallets stolen so be careful)! I usually put everything valuable in my front pockets at all times when I rode the train just in case. By always being aware, I never got anything stolen.
When you wanted to travel somewhere out of the city, you had to go to larger train stations and purchase a separate ticket for a relatively cheap price ($10 or more). If you needed to travel even longer distances, flying was the most efficient method of transportation. Thankfully the airport was very easy to figure out even though I wasn’t the best at Spanish. A lot of the signs were in English so that helped. The flights to countries around Spain were extremely cheap. This allowed me to travel to several countries without becoming completely broke. I took the train, bus, or even a taxi depending on the time when going to and from the airport! As for taxis, I typically used an app called “cabify” to order rides whenever I needed one! It’s similar to Uber in the U.S., however, they do not have Uber in Barcelona!
#4: Be open to trying new foods! B.t.w. get the patatas bravas -- you won’t regret it...
The food in Barcelona when compared to the United States’ cuisine is wayyyyyyyyyyyy better in my opinion (and I'm a picky eater!). Going back to what I said earlier, you can’t be afraid to try new things -- for example, patatas bravas, chopitos, or croquettes. All very delicious food. I would say almost half of the food in Barcelona I had never seen, let alone tried, before visiting! The food in Spain is a lot more fresh and less greasy than that of the United States. There are a lot of local shops that will serve desserts, meats, or tapas, which are similar to appetizers.
As for grocery stores, they were very convenient and close! The apartment I stayed in was right in the middle of two grocery stores within two blocks away. One grocery store had a variety of foods with a meat market similar to the U.S. and the other one was more of a convenience store with snacks and other small items. The nice thing about grocery stores in Barcelona was how cheap they were, especially for the quality of the food purchased. I typically spend $60 every two weeks on groceries in Minnesota, but in Barcelona, I spent about 30-40 euros ($34-$45 depending on the exchange rate).
#5: A majority of the best places to visit in Barcelona are in the heart of the city, but don’t get too comfortable!
Inside the city of Barcelona, my favorite place to visit was Las Ramblas. This is a long strip of an array of shops and street performers in the heart of the city of Barcelona! One of my most frequently visited spots in Las Ramblas was the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, a large market that had all types of foods/snacks to try.
Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria
My roommates and I decided to travel to Girona, Spain for a day. Girona has a variety of beautiful monuments and scenic views to take selfies with. The best way I could describe Girona is that it looks like like a combination of Italy and Spain. It only took us a brief 45 minute train ride north of Barcelona to get us to our destination. Girona is also home to a number of famous shows like Game of Thrones; one of my roommates is a fan of the show so we scoped out the filming location.
Another place I enjoyed visiting was the mall, known as “el corte engles”. This mall has 10 floors filled with everything your heart desired. You need a suit? Go to el corte engles. You need a new phone? Go to el corte engles. If you needed groceries you could even go to el corte engles. This place has everything.
Pro tip: If you need any recommendations on places to visit or things to do, I would ask your ASA Site Director. They know their way around the city a lot more than you do from the 2 hours worth of research you did before your plane departed to Barcelona. Also, if you do decide to visit someplace you’ve never been, always go with a friend.
One of the most important things I learned from studying abroad was to really indulge yourself into the culture of your host city. By not only accepting their culture, but really being a part of their culture, you will have a more meaningful and fulfilling experience abroad. This trip made me become more open minded and not be afraid to get out of my comfort zone. Deciding to study abroad in Barcelona was without a doubt one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life.