All participants in the Knox College Program in Barcelona are placed to stay with local families during their studies at the Universitat de Barcelona. The families are recruited by the on-site administrators of the program. When students arrive in Barcelona, they are given information about the families, which includes addresses, the number and ages of family members, the occupations and interests of family members, and comments made about the families by past participants of the program who have stayed at their homes. The students pick the families they feel they would be most comfortable staying with, but if more than one student picks the same family, the ultimate placement decision is made by the program administrators. In my opinion, the placement program, although not perfect, is effective in matching the students to host families and the fact that the students are given the opportunity to find out about a little about the families and make a choice for themselves plays a large part in that. My family consisted of a senora and her college-aged daughter. I was given a small room with a bed, desk, and dresser and I shared a bathroom with an exchange student from Rotterdam. The apartment was kept clean and neat, my sheets and clothes were washed often, and the meals were great! My senora loved to talk to me about whatever travel plans I would make in Spain and was always nice and cheerful. She was an artist, she had a great sense of humor, and she was full of stories. I feel that she genuinely cared about me. I have many wonderful memories of that family and I feel glad that that was my family for the ten weeks I lived in Barcelona.
Lire la suite >