UMSA study abroad - Universidad del Museo Social Argentino Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

IES program classes were easy, and for Tufts the grades don't transfer anyway. My grammar class was actually the one in which I did poorest. The other ones were interesting, in terms of perspective, but not particularly challenging. The UMSA classes were difficult mostly because I was the only foreigner in them and they were true immersion as opposed to a group of Americans taking class taught very slowly in Spanish. The grading system at Argentine universities will seem weird to Americans where GPA's are so important. Grading is done out of 10 with a 4 being a passing score. The students only care if they pass, not how well they do. If grades transfer this is an unfortunate system. Class, even lecture classes, are much less formal in terms of the teaching style and how apt students are to just ask questions whenever/however they want, but assignments are generally much more formal (this coming from an Econ Major who turns in hand scrawled p-sets). Readings didn't seem to be obligatory, and everything is just photocopied from books. People don't actually buy texts. Also, prestigious Argentine universities are public, not private like in the US. So think of taking UBA classes, instead of UMSA, if you are trying to take difficult and worthwhile courses. But the concept of "fighting" for your education takes on a whole new meaning.

On-site administration of your program

The program is a little bit of a mess overall. Having a spring break is definitely one of the best aspects. It's a really disconnected program, especially between the local universities and the program itself. It didn't really seem like they communicated at all sometimes. Also, the worst part for me was that local university exams were technically AFTER IES had ended. This meant that I took my exams significantly earlier than other students in my UMSA courses. Also, there is a school-wide end of the semester party at UMSA that I missed because I had to leave beforehand. I just feel like I missed out on the complete experience by getting shooed out at the end of the semester.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Recoleta. Most other students lived either there, Palermo or Barrio Norte. Overall, in the nicest areas of the city. I definitely felt safe in my neighborhood at any time of day/night. In general this also made everything really accessible, but kind of creates a skewed view of the city in terms of the people that you are exposed to daily. <br /><br /> I lived with an old lady whose children have married and moved out. I had my own room, bathroom and a shelf in the fridge. She let me have friends over when I asked and let me use the kitchen whenever I asked. The only problem with a homestay is that while I got lucky with my "family," many people didn't. Also, my the end of 4 months it got exhausting to be living with someone and not really having your own space. Being a college student in a dorm provides a lot of freedom, easily taken for granted. It's not that she cared when I got home, or how late I slept or anything. It's just weird to have to let someone know if you'll be home (i.e. -- going away for weekends) and what time you'll be home (not when you go out, but more for dinner).

Having a homestay exposed me to lots of foods I wouldn't have probably tried otherwise, which was nice. She always gave me more than enough food and would have been very accommodating had I had any eating restrictions. I also liked the freedom to not be expected for lunch and be able to (and almost obligated) to go out for dinner on weekends and as a result really get to know the city.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The trips I went on were fun, but I feel like the program could pick better places to go overall. Places that we really NEED to go while in Argentina as opposed to places that we should maybe or should go.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Health Issues: I don't know because I didn't have any. Safety: As long as you are aware and don't do anything stupid that you know you shouldn't you'll be fine. People get robbed a lot on public transportation, but it's when they don't pay attention. Also, there are a couple neighborhoods that you shouldn't be in after dark (be aware of these) and shouldn't appear like tourists. These are general rules for traveling though.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I should have not taken courses with the IES program. Being in such a big program, especially one that takes students who know no Spanish going into it, resulted in a lot of Americans hanging out and staying together. While I generally distanced myself from the IES crowd, I still spoke too much English (with the couple people I did talk to from IES) to become totally fluent. Also, IES courses aren't as challenging to language skills as partner university courses. Definitely date and make friends in Spanish if you really care about how much your vocabulary and comprehension increase over the course of the semester. Also, my host mother didn't speak English, which really helped me practice. She was very patient with my Spanish, especially at the beginning of the semester.

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• Apartment

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• Other

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• Americans