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1055 BIF
515 East Gregory Drive
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 244-7245
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Fax: (217) 244-9992
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Comments about ESADE from Past Participants
Useful Advice
“For the first 3 years of college, I was searching,--almost yearning--for that one extraordinary, defining college experience. I can say with a lot of pride, and an equal amount of nostalgia, that I found all of that and more in Barcelona. This weekend, I am flying out to NYC to reunite with BCN friends, and in a month some of them will be coming here. I think that is a testament to the kind of experience I had, and the relationships I built while abroad. There are few other things I can say that will do justice to the importance and value of studying abroad (especially in such an amazing city), but if you are considering it and have the means to do so, please take the chance. Green Day said it best, It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right…I hope you have the time of your life.” - Archana Singavi, Fall 08
"Rick Steves’ Best of Europe was a great resource while traveling. The Charles Schwab debit card is AMAZING, they charge no conversion fees and refund any ATM fees you incur worldwide. Capital One was the best choice for credit cards, as they also charged zero conversion fees. I also used hostelworld.com, hostelbooking.com, and the TMB website for all transportation questions (for the metro & FGC)." - Archana Singavi, Fall 08
"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
"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 had it all – beautiful beaches, mountains, a vibrant city-life, and proximity to a major airport. Aside from the varied geography, there was a deep culture, and interesting history. The people of Barcelona are warm, open, and have the right priorities in life. I found the whole experience refreshing. Other than the pick-pocketers, I cannot think of anything wrong with the city of Barcelona.” - Archana Singavi, Fall 08
"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
Courses
“The choices were different from what is offered at UIUC, as was the teaching approach of the professors. Alex’s class on Spanish History was one of the best classes I have ever taken. He’s a fantastic professor, and that course really made ESADE education worthwhile. I also enjoyed the diversity of my classmates; I can honestly say I have never been in a classroom full of people from so many different backgrounds. We had little to no feedback the entire semester. Other than Business IT and Spanish History, the classes were very large, and extremely lengthy. It was hard to concentrate for 3 hours straight, especially with the prevalent teaching style of PowerPoint lectures. While ESADE has been rated very highly, I am not sure I got the impression that I was at a world-class business school while there.” - Archana Singavi, Fall 08
"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
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 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 $30-50 euros per week on food and nothing on books." - Archana Singavi, Fall 08
"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
