Cómo Anda Argentina Past Review
By Vanessa C (Spanish, Graphic Design, Flagler College) - abroad from 05/31/2012 to 08/01/2012 with
Connect-123: Buenos Aires - Volunteer/Intern in Argentina
I've learned more about web development and have improved my ability to read and write code. I have also improved my language skills and have definitely think it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| 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 took classes at Ibero Spanish School, which I would not recommend. I choose the program based upon price, so I guess I got what I paid for. Classes were 4 hours daily, but within my class there were lower levels, so everything we discussed was review for me and we only had 1 test. The man in charge was also very hard to get a hold of and wasn't too willing to help with problems/issues. At my internship, I was the only designer there, so I was given about 6 projects with various components to do. After all were completed, I then started to learn aspects of the development side of creating web sites through WordPress, which was completely new to me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Connect representatives were super friendly, and responded quickly to emails. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great apartment located near Chinatown in Palermo/Belgrano area. Everything was clean, safe, and I had my own room and private bathroom. My roommate was a very nice porteña. The only downside was thin walls and loud neighbors at times. |
| * Food: |
I'm a vegan w/ gluten sensitivity, so I ate basically the same as I did at home. I love that there are numerous health food stores (dieteticas) that sell a lot of specialty foods, and lots of local fruit/veggie venders. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I lived with a porteña and work with porteños. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had a couple of colds during my trip, but nothing major. The people at my internship were super understanding, and let me work from home when I didn't feel well. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe. I took buses and trains during the day, taxis at night. I did a lot of walking by myself and in a group all over, and was totally fine. |
| 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) |
Buses are cheap, but at night taxis fees can add up. The shoes are amazing here, but super expensive. Local grocers are normally cheaper, but depending on the product (if it's imported) can be 2x more expensive than the US. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
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 |
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| 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? | 3rd-year College Spanish |
| 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? | Try to force yourself to use it no matter what, and try thinking in Spanish. Go out in the city and ask for directions. Just try to immerse yourself as much as possible. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | It gets really cold. |
