Student Testimonials for The American College of Mediterranean - The Institute of American Universities (ACM-IAU), Barcelona 

Liam Romei                      

Age (while abroad): 21

Degree(s): Psychology and Health and Human Performance

What was your prior language knowledge (if applicable)?: I had no prior Spanish speaking before my semester abroad.

Where did you go?: Barcelona, Spain

In what school did you study?: ACM-IAU

When did you go?: Spring semester, 2026

Have you studied abroad before?: No

Why did you do study abroad?: I chose to study abroad as a way to expand my horizons while continuing my education. I love to travel and studying abroad gave me a great opportunity to do so while moving forward in my degree. It also gave me much more of a platform to build connections while in a new location rather than just winging it.

Would you do this again?: Yes, in a heartbeat.

What was your favorite part?: My favorite part of studying abroad was building connections with people from many different flocks of life. Whether that is locals from a city I had never been to or other study abroad students that are experiencing countless new things alongside me. Getting to experience some of the craziest times of my life with people you have essentially just met can build a bond you wouldn't find otherwise.

What was your least favorite part?: My least favorite part was my living situation. I ended up staying somewhat far away from many of the other students at IAU and the meal plan offered in my building was nothing short of awful. I chose to live in a single room and regretted that decision the majority of the semester.

How has study abroad affected your life now?: What did you learn, outside of academics, from your study abroad experience?:  These two questions get somewhat of the same answer so I'm going to group them together. Studying abroad gave me an even clearer view of how much the world has to offer. From my previous travels I knew I wanted to see as much of the world as I can and experience everything that comes my way. During the semester, the more I traveled, the more I wanted to see and experience. I learned that every place has so many unique things to offer and amazing people to meet. Studying abroad has also made me much more outgoing. This is a crazy one for me to say because before I left I already thought I was very outgoing, but putting yourself in many situations where you genuinely don't know a soul forces you to take it to a much higher level. I have found that not just talking to strangers, but finding a way to make it more than just small talk became much easier as the semester went on. I would also say I just learned a different perspective on how to live. Not that I just instantly instill that into my life here (I wish I could), but just seeing and hearing about how differently life can be structured was incredibly interesting. This was also the first time since I was 15 that I have not had a job. That plus the fact that I'm in a location with so much to offer made me realize how much more consistently you can enjoy life.

What advice you would offer students interested in studying abroad?: My advice would be to stop overthinking it and just go. It's incredibly intimidating to actually get yourself across the world for a semester but once you're there you'll think you were crazy for ever wanting to not come. I would also tell students going abroad to say yes to everything. There will be so many opportunities to do stuff that are out of your comfort zone or that you would normally not do, but those are some of the best times you will have. Alongside that I would say to try to make as many connections as you can and don't stop doing it. It's easy to try to just stick with the first people you like
hanging out with but there are so many students over there that you will never stop making friends. Some of the best people I met over the semester didn't come into the picture until the last month or two. Lastly, I would say to save so much more than you think. Once you are over there there are so many more things you'll want to do than anticipated and every dollar you spend over budget is worth it. An extra side piece of advice would be to not go to the same abroad location as any of your friends. It may seem less intimidating and sound fun to be there with your friend(s), but I saw countless amounts of kids that just got stuck in their little group and regretted not branching out and meeting more people. Going alone forced you to do that.