Barbecue & Boliches Past Review
By A student (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/25/2012 to 06/22/2012 with
IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Society & Culture
I learned how to better appreciate different cultures, different personalities, and myself.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were incredibly easy but attendance was mandatory, which really hurt your grade if you wanted to miss a class and travel for a weekend. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The student services staff was very helpful and friendly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My home stay was nice and in a good location. |
| * Food: |
If you like Italian and hate spicy food, BA is the place for you. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The local culture is very nice and friendly. It was easy to meet locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got really sick halfway through the program. I went to one of the student service advisors and she called a doctor to come to her office that day and see and treat me. I wish I had a house-call service like that in the states. |
| * Safety: |
Parts of this city are pretty sketchy and the petty theft is rampant. Your personal safety isn't a huge issue but be smart and NEVER take your eyes off your belongings. |
| 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) |
This city can be very cheap or very expensive. I spent a lot of money, but I was also eating and drinking at the city's nicest hangouts. Compared to Europe, Buenos Aires is amazingly cheap. When I was strapped for cash, I could find a quick lunch or a bottle of wine for USD $3-6. |
| * 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? | Between USD $100-150 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Find the local restaurants. If you stick to the touristy spots and places that the travel guide books recommend, you're going to be spending a lot more money. Those places are marked up because they know tourists will drop the cash. |
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 |
Half of my classes were in Spanish but others took all of their classes in Spanish or all in English. It was up to the student. |
| 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? | Intermediate Spanish II |
| 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? | Talk to locals. The Buenos Aires dialect is different from most Spanish we have heard or studied in the U.S. You cannot master it from a textbook. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | South America is one of the most diverse, beautiful continents in the world. In Buenos Aires and beyond, the possibilities are endless for adventure. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
