Buena Onda! Past Review
By A student (Marketing And International Business, University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 01/09/2013 to 05/18/2013 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
I learned so much about myself living abroad for four months, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything!
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was great but the actual living situation was not ideal. |
| * Food: |
Eating out in Argentina was great, the food at my home-stay was alright but it got pretty repetitive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish I would have gone to a university with locals! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Although there were a lot of safety incidents among other members of my program, I never felt threatened in the city. As long as you take precaution and are responsible there shouldn't be anything to worry about! |
| 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) |
I really underestimated how much I was going to spend while abroad. The costs of food and travel really added up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Because food is generally inexpensive in Argentina if you are really serious about saving money and have a tight budget it is possible to make it work if you refrain from eating out often. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
I spoke Spanish everyday at my home-stay but otherwise I was always around other English speaking students which made it hard to practice. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Talk to the locals! Make local friends! |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | Don't take your time abroad for granted, it will fly by! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
