A Semester in Buenos Aires was a Semester like No Other Past Review
By Rebecca H (Spanish Language and Literature., The University of Texas at Austin) for
CIEE: Buenos Aires - Liberal Arts
Yes. I learned more Spanish, made new friends, experienced a world on my own, learned what it means to be completely lost and not know anything, and much much more.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad Catolica (UCA) and Flacso |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was excessive. The CIEE advisor in Buenos Aires made it very clear that we were there to study and not to play. One of the major reasons that I decided to study abroad was to get to know and experience another country to its full potential, and some of the coursework made if more difficult to do so because it demanded the majority of my time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program definitely challenged me to speak in Spanish, which was a definite positive. On the other hand, everyone was very uptight and insensitive to the difficulties of being in another country and not knowing the language. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
NA |
| * Food: |
NA |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trips that I took were absolutely incredible. I definitely recommend traveling around the country and learning about different cultures. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No. Most of the extra money that I spent was used for traveling. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | SPN 327G |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We were only allowed to speak Spanish in our program when we were inside the CIEE/FLACSO building, and my host family did not speak any English. |
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? | NA |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Arte Argentino Conemporáneo / Contemporary Argentine Art |
| Course Department: | Programa de Estudios Latinoamericanos - UCA |
| Instructor: | Martín Bonadeo |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was a very interesting and useful class with an incredible professor who was very knowledgeable about Argentine art. We were able to go on field trips to different museums in Buenos Aires, and he assigned us many papers that required us to explore different art styles by going to different art exhibits and shows. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am hoping that this will count for a fine art course. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Spanish 1: Reading and Writing Workshop / Taller de Lectura y Escritura |
| Course Department: | Cursos del programa / FLACSO |
| Instructor: | Asuka Hatano |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This class was beneficial because it helped my reading comprehension in Spanish and my Spanish writing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Aprendizaje y Servicio / Service and Volunteerism |
| Course Department: | Cursos del programa / FLACSO |
| Instructor: | Nieves Tapia |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was based on the education, economics, and society of Argentina. Each person in the class had to volunteer once a week at an organization of their choice and organize some type of event for them. I worked at the Casa de Los Niños with children after school, which was an amazing and fulfilling experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Spanish 1: Grammar Workshop / Taller de Consolidación Gramatical |
| Course Department: | Cursos del programa / FLACSO |
| Instructor: | Diego Cousido |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This class was beneficial, but I feel as though I should have been placed in a high level Spanish because I do not feel that I learned anything and it was not a challenge. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Cuestiones Culturales en la Historia Argentina / Cultural Issues in Argentina History |
| Course Department: | Cursos del programa - FLASCO |
| Instructor: | Francisco Corigliano |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This was an interesting course that taught me a lot about the history of Argentina, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We were able to go on a few field trips to explore and learn about the historical elements of Buenos Aires. The professor loved teaching this class, which made is very enjoyable to go to and also encouraged me to learn. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | NA |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Historia y Literatura. Una lectura del siglo XX argentino desde la literatura Del Centenario al Cacerolazo / History and Literature: A reading of 20th Century Argentina through Literature from the Centennial to the Cacerolazo |
| Course Department: | Cursos del programa - FLACSO |
| Instructor: | Hernán Ronsino |
| Instruction Language: | Spansih |
| Comments: | This course was very difficult, probably my most difficult course I took while I was abroad. The workload was very high and it required a lot of reading. The teacher was good and knowledgeable of the subject matter, and he definitely challenged me in all aspects of the class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | This should count for an upper division Spanish course. |
