A Changed Life: Through the Spanish Language and Argentine Culture Past Review
By Kimberly H (Civil Engineering, Oregon State University) for
GEO: Rosario - Study Abroad Programs in Rosario
I learned so much from studying abroad. Not only did I gain knowledge on the culture and language, but I also learned a lot about myself. It was difficult at first to go alone to a completely unknown country and try to immerse myself to get the full experience, but by the time that I had to go, I didn't want to. I wish that the program would have been longer because there is still so much I need to learn when it comes to spanish and I feel as if I would have been there longer then I might actually be able to consider myself fluent in Spanish and that is a passion I have for my life. I plan on going to other spanish speaking countries in my life because I love the language and culture so much. I even plan to return to Argentina this coming December so that I can see my host family and friends there!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
If you ever need anything there was someone there to assist you. At one point I had asked to be paired up with an Argentine student so that I could build a relationship and have someone to talk to and they had said they would set that up for me, but it never happened. When something would go wrong with one of the students or other issues they were quick to inform us and did a good job at discussing what was going on. The program was a great size and they did a great job at planning our weekend trips. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing was all pre-arranged and I felt very safe. The apartment was fairly small so sometimes it was uncomfortable because I didn't know was expected of me or how to interact with the family, but by the end of my stay I felt like a family member and I can't wait until I can go back to visit them. My house was about 11 blocks away from school so I was given bus passes, but the majority of the time I walked. In order to take part in the night life I normally took a taxi because it was safer to travel in a taxi then walking by yourself at night. I didn't need to buy any items to settle in. They had sheets, bedding and even a towel for me to use. |
| * Food: |
A lot of the time my host family tried to feed my more then I wanted to eat. I wasn't really sure how to address the fact that I was full and even if I was my host mom would always offer me more food afterwards. There wasn't one specific place then I liked to go out to eat, but I would definitely advise going out to eat on a street called Pellegrini, near Praque de la Independencia |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With the program we went to Iguazu falls, Buenos Aires and to a Guacho party. All of these events were very fun. Outside of class I spent a lot of time at La Florida, which is a beach in the northern part of the city and we went to boliches (dance clubs) on most weekend. When there was a festival by the river sometimes my class would take a field trip out there or people would meet there after school. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Rosario is a fairly safe city. During the night time you do need to be more cautions and I would not advise walking alone as a girl. I had pepper spray that I normally carried with me and it made me feel a lot more comfortable. There were some vaccines that were needed before going on the trip, mainly pertaining to going up to Iguazu falls where you are in a forest more or less. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The teachers were very adamant about always speaking the language, but because I was constantly around Americans it was hard to force myself to speak the language. Once I was home with my host family I had to speak Spanish because they didn't know any english and I found this very beneficial. I wish that the classes would have been with other native speakers so that there was a better chance of finding native speakers to spend time with, or even just a better interaction with the other students at the school so that the Americans were not so distant from them and relationships could have been more easily formed. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't be stingy with your money! Know in the very beginning that you will probably spend more money then you want to, but the experience is very worth it! I hate spending money and yet, I had to let that go so that I could really take my time there and get the most out of it. Also, talk to your host family! You can learn so much from them and it can really add to the experience. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Spanish Conversation Level 3 |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Karina Llopart |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | She is an excellent teacher and very easy to get along with and communicate with. She did a good job at incorporating the language and culture together in one class and we even managed to take a few trips to different parts of the city. The class size was on the smaller side, but it made it great for class participation. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Some of my credits were only counted as general spanish elective when they should have covered my spanish conversation or grammar courses. Luckily I had seen an advisor before I had left and had paper work confirming where my credits should be transferred to, so it was an easy problem to fix. |
