Living In Barcelona

Housing

Students live at a University of Barcelona residence hall located in Sarrià, a safe, upscale neighborhood full of activity and places of interest. The residence is one block from Avenida Diagonal, a major artery that cuts across the city. Buses, subways, and taxis are readily available, and all major tourist attractions are within a 15-minute bus ride. Many small restaurants, interesting shops, ATMs, and other amenities are within short walking distance from the dormitory.

Students' rooms are in close proximity to one another, with resident advisers' rooms nearby. Resident advisers have experience and training in Columbia's residential High School Programs. The ratio of resident advisers to students is approximately 1 to 10. Columbia University’s High School Programs site director also lives at the residence during the group’s stay. The rooms are comfortably furnished, each with air conditioning, a private bathroom, a safe, a small refrigerator, a telephone, and an Internet connection. Rooms are cleaned twice weekly.

A lounge area includes two television rooms, a snack bar, and vending machines. It also has card-operated washing machines and dryers, along with an iron and ironing board.

Access to the residence hall is controlled by the reception desk, which is staffed 24 hours a day. Additional security personnel are added at night. Gatherings in rooms are prohibited after 10:00 p.m. Visits with guests who are not in the Barcelona program are restricted to the ground floor. Visitors must identify themselves at the reception desk as guests of a resident and must leave the residence hall by 11:00 p.m.

Behavioral standards, including a curfew (11:00 p.m. during the week and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays), are strictly enforced.

Dining

The program provides all meals. Most days, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at either the residence hall or at the School of Continuing Education at the University of Barcelona.

Transportation

The program provides each student with a public transportation pass, which allows unlimited rides on subways and buses in Barcelona during the entire three-week stay.

Private bus service provides weekday transfers related to course study and transportation for out-of-town excursions.

Computer Access

Students are required to bring their own laptops; Internet connection is available in the rooms.

The residence hall has a computer terminal for limited free Internet access. Computing facilities are available at the University of Barcelona on class days.