Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

Again, for the umpteenth time: don't find accomodation through Habitatge Jove.

Barcelona is a bilingual town, and to be honest I would have to say that Catalan is the first language. Of course everyone understands and speaks Castellano (Spanish) perfectly, but quite a few people will (for political or other reasons) prefer Catalan. It is perfectly possible to live here without speaking or understanding a word of Catalan, but at least understanding it will certainly make you feel less of an alien. Studying at the UPC, you will certainly come across classes in Catalan, especially at the school I went to (ETSEIB - Industrial Engineers), which has about 90% of its classes in Catalan.

August is THE holiday month in Spain. It is virtually impossible to get anything done. At the university, noone even picks up the phone. Don't panic if it's only ten days to go til school starts, and you have absolutely no clue how it will be, which classes you will attend, or even where you'll be staying.

La Ovella Negra (the one near Plaza Catalunya) - THE place to meet international students Tubo Bar (Provença, entre Enric Granados and Balmes) - cheap drinks, cool music, packed on fridays and saturdays Margarita Blue - excellent Caipirinhas and good food

I wouldn't recommend using the services of Habitatge Jove (even though universities recommend their services), but rather encourage people to try and find accomodation independently (boards at university), because the rooms Habitatge Jove gives away are rather expensive (poor relation between rent and quality/facilities).