Past Review
By Gabriela L (Latin American Studies/Political Science, Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Buenos Aires - Liberal Arts
I could see myself moving here after college, that should say a lot.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | FLACSO, UBA |
| 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. |
I commented above about my experience at University of Buenos Aires. I chose classes that I believed would be both interesting and challenging. I was very impressed with the quality of the instructors and the difficulty of the texts. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They are incredibly organized, responsive, and accessible. They did a great job at coddling us those first couple weeks until we got settled, and they couldn't have made life any easier for us. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
K-Lodges Hostel Universitario in Alto Palermo. I lived in a double with a balcony. It included a cleaning service that changed your sheets and gave you fresh towels. We had access to computers, TV, and kitchen. My program included some meals. The food wasn't anything to write home about, but I liked it. I had great Argentine roommates. The staff was friendly and helpful. Can pay for a very cheap laundry service. Close to everything you need, right off a main avenue, close to public transportation, and safe well lit streets. <br /><br /> I answered this question above. I didn't need to buy sheets, towels, etc. The room came with everything. |
| * Food: |
Quality, average. Quantity, good. Variety, not so good. Advice: buy olive oil, pepper, hot sauce, and peanut butter - you won't find any here. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
One of the trips my program planned was to Jujuy. That was probably the best trip of my semester. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My program let me know how to get local healthcare. I would actually just call doctors to come to my room to see me. It was incredibly easy and low stress. I never had any serious issues, but they were always helpful. |
| 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? | Our package only included breakfast and dinner OR lunch. So I would say you would need to spend somewhere around $50 US dollars a week on food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Read above. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Upper/highest level Spanish courses |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I probably spoke 1/2 English and 1/2 Spanish most of my time abroad. It's difficult when surrounded by so many other students from the US and sometimes you just want to give the mind a rest. I lived in a residencia with students from Argentina, other Latin American countries, and the US. Besides the classroom and on the street, I practiced most of my Spanish here. I would say that MOST people on the study abroad program spoke English most of the time. Few people really made the effort to speak Spanish all the time. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | An student who is patient/independent and not afraid to ask questions or meet people. |
