Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Workload was very light and the grading system was not too challenging; Teaching methods were quite unorganized, but I also understand that the method of teaching is different in Argentina that in the US; I definitely learned a bit but was not challenged as I am at home; the biggest challenge was attending classes and working with other students, many of whom were not at all interested in gaining academic perspectives while abroad

On-site administration of your program

Very accessible staff - everyone was very friendly, helpful and able to get things done; They gave us plenty of information about the host country and were very receptive to where we came from; Many had actually studied in the US sometime during their educational careers as well; Program size was a bit large - the BsAs is the second largest one administered by IES; expectations were met in terms of staff accessibility

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

House in a very nice and safe neighborhood <br /><br /> The host family situation was great in terms of logistics but my host family was not particularly interested in engaging foreign students in conversation or other activities, which was a bit disappointing; I interacted with and learned the most from the maids in my homestay

Good overall, but a bit difficult to adjust to the larger amount of red meat and carbs in Argentina; I'm sure I've picked up some weight!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved my experience in terms of my trips and explorations throughout the city. Attractions throughout the city were very accessible. My program also organized excellent (and cheap!!) field trips throughout Argentina. I enjoyed my trip to the Ibera Wetlands in the Corrientes Province the best - not as common of a trip destination, but the trip was definitely an unforgettable experience for me.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Safe given that we took precautions (ie: not walking around alone at night, not calling attention to expensive equipment or large sums of money, etc.); I did not have any experiences with healthcare, though I do know that access was excellent (home visits, plenty of other clinic, pharmacy and hospital services included in insurance); yellow fever vaccine was needed for the field trip to Ibera

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

I went to Buenos Aires after only one semester of Spanish so the mere fact that I was immersed in the city was a huge help for improving my language skills. I took a very active approach to practicing with everyone - my host family (though they weren't home much), the maids in my family (a huge help!!), at my internship, with a language partner, with all the staff at IES, on the streets, etc. It was definitely possible to get around the city without Spanish, but I tried nonetheless. Most other students in the program spoke English though, which made the situation a little difficult every so often.

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• Americans