Argentina Past Review
By Hillary H (Television-Radio, Ithaca College) for
IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Society & Culture
Yes, I loved it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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 was very disappointed that I was not able to study at a local university, I felt that there was a lack of communication there in the requirements to do so. Therefore, since I was stuck taking classes at the center, with 100% English classes and American peers, taking classes that I did not particularly care about nor would count towards my major, it was very difficult to care about the class and keep up with the ridiculous amount of work. For me, I saw the Study Abroad Experience as an opportunity more to travel and learn about another culture than to take classes in another country, and because of that, I found that I was working much more than I would have liked. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It had great field trips and the staff was always willing to help, but at the same time there was always a sense of disorganization in the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I had no dietary restrictions. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
N/A |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
N/A |
| 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? | At first, we all spent a lot of money, but I was able to get by on about $50 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I can't think of any. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 32100, Advanced Grammar and Composition |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
In the center, I found most people to speak English. Only in my Spanish class did I speak Spanish within the center. In my home-stay I had to speak Spanish, but at the same time, they spoke a little bit of English as well and were eager to practice, so I feel like that hindered my acquisition a little bit. I felt that I hit a plateau about a month into the program and from then on found it very difficult to progress beyond that. If I had not stayed after the program and traveled by myself for six weeks, I feel like my Spanish would not have improved nearly as much as I would have liked. |
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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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