Did I make the wrong choice? Study Abroad in Barcelona
Hello. So I am a rising undergrad junior at UC Berkeley and I am on track to study abroad in Barcelona in the spring semester, but I feel so so afraid that I’ve made the wrong choice regarding the city I am staying in. I came to Berkeley knowing that I wanted to study abroad somewhere in Spain and double major, so I only rlly did research on the programs in Spain that would accept my majors. But I changed my major so many times, and idk, I guess I wasn’t fully informed on what schools in Spain provided my current major rather than the one I picked as a freshman or sophomore. I feel so so stupid. Now the time for me to leave is slowly coming up and I am so scared that I made the wrong choice, going to the University of Barcelona instead of maybe staying in Madrid.
My main concerns are about language and how well I will fit in. I understand Spanish very well currently, and can speak decently. The main reason I decided to study abroad in Spain was so I could achieve fluency, but I am afraid that in Barcelona people will see me and speak English or maybe even Catalan (I do not speak Catalan at all). I’m also afraid that I may not be able to fit in. I am a Black and Asian female, which makes me afraid that I willl experience racism or misogyny. I also know that tourism in Barcelona is big, which makes me afraid that people may dislike me for being a tourist (?). I am a student in Art and Sociology, so I spend a lot of time indoors for creative stuff. I like going out a lot, my favorite pass time is going to live music events. Ig I’m just asking if Barcelona sounds right for me..
I don’t know. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance or maybe advice. I don’t know who to ask since I don’t know anyone that’s studied abroad before, or studied abroad in Barcelona. I already tried to change schools with UCEAP but was told that they can’t change anything. I’m considering possibly staying over the summer as well, maybe living in Madrid for the summer, but I may not be able to afford it. I’m just very afraid I ruined a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by being misinformed, and I will spend my study abroad in a city that may not fit me..
If Barcelona doesn’t sound like it fits me based off of this, do you think I would have a more fulfilling study abroad by studying in Madrid over the summer, for a shorter amount of time than studying in Barcelona for a longer amount of time? Pls advise