Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Mind Opening. Past Review

By (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor) - abroad from 08/23/2010 to 11/26/2011 with

IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Society & Culture

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes. It was amazing to experience life from a foreigner's perspective. The people were so different in so many fascinating ways.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Academic rigor wasn't great. However, I was not looking to take any difficult courses while abroad because I wanted to experience the culture without being too tied down. I am also biased because I dislike humanities courses.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administrators at the IES Abroad Center were very helpful and willing to guide students.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

In IES abroad, there was a definite tendency to befriend other Americans travelling abroad; which enhanced the experience but detracted from some comprehensions of the language and culture. Overall, I did live with a host family and even when I went out with my American friends, we still interacted with many Argentinean residents.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I had my passport and visa stolen. About 75% of students were robbed at some point, I believe. However, I think it was a general consequence of living in Buenos Aires as opposed to something IES Abroad had any control over.

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Every week, I went through about 300 Argentinean pesos, give or take. This is roughly less than 60 USD. Not bad.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If the country you live in has a high inflation rate, don't forget to manage your budget. Once you develop the mindset that living in Argentina is cheap, you'll start carelessly spending more money than what you may realize.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? AP 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? It is definitely advantageous to understand grammatical rules and know a lot of vocabulary. However, don't give up on trying to understand the language and take advantage of every opportunity you have to use the language.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Experiencing a new culture where people just do things...differently.
  • Becoming proficient in a different language.
  • Backpacking on the weekends.
* What could be improved?
  • I would have tried harder to befriend local residents.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Learning a new language takes a lot of hard work. Practice, practice, practice!! It's easy to get frustrated when you can't understand others and they can't understand your accent. This only improves with time and experience.