Argentina, At times a struggle, but in the long run a great experience Past Review
By Henry M (political science, University of San Diego) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
I think that personally the experience allowed me to mature a lot. It is funny how much a language can isolate you at first and force you to become closer to people who you otherwise may not have encountered. My time here has given me a great appreciation of how different a countries culture can be, something which I think you have to experience to fully understand.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was fair and allowed me to travel extensively and learn through experience. The let down was the lack of classes offered and the smallness of the university |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very accessible staff with a great knowledge of the country. The university setting however was a bit of a let down, too small and isolated. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The food was excellent. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trip to Iguazu was the highlight of the trips offered by my program. I wish they offered us more group trips though, because they certainly were one of the best parts of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Although people warned me that Buenos Aires was a dangerous city I have found that by and large it is not overly dangerous. It is like any big city, one just has to be careful and be vigilant. I had no incidents with safety or with healthcare |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It takes a while to get used to the Argentine culture so don't expect it to be an experience without ups and downs. I think students with an open mind and an outgoing personality would benefit most from this program. It is not a country for the introvert. |
