Big city life in Buenos Aires was a great experience Past Review
By Kate N (Archaeology/Spanish, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
This was a great experience. It was a different environment that I'd previously been in contact with. I met so many people that impacted my perspective. It was interesting how the culture was different but the thing that surprised me most was that the issues that they faced were the same as in the U.S. and elsewhere. I guess I found out that people and problems were more similar than different. Hearing people's stories as I traveled has inspired me to dream of traveling more, to places I'd never even considered before. It was a very worthwhile experience.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Belgrano |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was not difficult. My grades were mostly based on a mid-term and final exam as well as in certain classes written work throughout the semester. The grades were based on a 10 point scale which transferred back to the 4 point scale at my home university. The professors didn't seem to have high expectations or be very demanding of us. They didn't seem very invested in our education. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program coordinators were great. They were very personable and knowledgeable. Our program size was large, especially because there were several different programs going on simultaeneously. There were over a hundred of us from CEA in Buenos Aires, but we were in different programs. Our groups were combined for some excursions so we were still a fairly large group. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My program arranged my housing for me in a very nice neighborhood, Belgrano. I lived with a host family consisting of a mother and two sons around my own age. There were also four other American students living there so I had a bit of both worlds, both with the host family experience and living with Americans as well. I liked it but I felt like because there were others around I didn't bond with my family much. I felt more like a boarder than part of the family. They were very nice and friendly but they weren't around a lot so I felt distanced from the family. |
| * Food: |
The food in Argentina is very rich. They love sweet foods and there's a lot of it. If you're eating out food is relatively cheap. You can get a really nice meal for about $10US. The food isn't spicy, it's rather bland. There's a lot of french and italian influence. Meat is a very important part of the diet, especially beef. However, I knew several vegetarian students whose host families accomodated their diet and there were many vegetarian restaurants around. If you're looking for asian food there is a Chinatown in the neighborhood of Belgrano with quite a few good restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved going to Iguazu Falls which was an excursion organized by my program. The other excursions we went on were to Tigre, a river delta town about an hour outside of the city as well as a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay. There were smaller events throughout the semester as well. I loved going to a show called "La Bomba de Tiempo" a percussion show playing every Monday night at the cultural center in Recoleta. I also went to a sports club called Peru Beach outside of the city which was a sports club in which you could rock climb, go kayaking, windsurfing, or just sunbathing. There's lots of museums and just walking down some of the main streets like Corrientes and 9 de Julio (the widest street in the world) is an experience. In addition, I traveled many places within and outside of the country that I enjoyed. I went to Mendoza and did a biking wine tour as well as paragliding. You have to visit Patagonia either in Argentina or Chile which is beautiful. I fell in love with that region in the short time I was there. Basically, there's a lot to see and do in your time abroad there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I didn't have any experience with the emergency or health care system in Argentina. It is a big city so crime, mostly theft, is always a problem. The biggest advice is to always be aware of your surroundings and your possessions. When you go out at night take as little as possible with you (not a large purse, only as much money as you'll need for the night, no credit cards, etc.) and keep track of it at all times. It's so easy to get things stolen from you in bars and clubs and it happened to so many friends, although I never experienced it personally. Don't walk by yourself at night and know where you're going or at least act like it if you're in a place where you feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. But it is no worse that the crime and theft in any large city. Most of the time I felt relatively safe even by myself. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $50US on food and personal expenses each week. That doesn't include the money I spent on travel. I was pretty frugal with how much I spent in the city because I wanted to save my money for traveling. Food is relatively cheap but clothing is more expensive in the city. Alcohol is cheap but a night out can get expensive if you go to bars and nightclubs and include transportation. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Clothing prices are comparable to clothing in the U.S. But the clothing stores are mostly smaller boutique-type stores so there wasn't a cheap alternative like in the U.S. And a lot of the clothing was of cheap quality that didn't hold up very well or last long. So even though it is recommended to pack light you want to pack enough clothing so that you only have to buy a few items rather than a whole new wardrobe abroad. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | A student who wants excitement and likes going out will definitely fit right in with the night life in Buenos Aires which doesn't start until at least midnight and can go until dawn. Buenos Aires is unique from anywhere else in the country but it's located so that traveling to many different places throughout a student's time there is possible. There are so many opportunities to experience. While the people are not the most easy to get to know once you do they are very warm and open. Be prepared for a big city lifestyle but if you like the quiet life or are looking for a more adventurous rugged experience this is not it. |
