Semester abroad in Buenos Aires Past Review
By user42424242 (International Relations and Affairs., University of the Pacific) - abroad from 03/02/2013 to 06/28/2013 with
IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Society & Culture
I absolutely loved living in Buenos Aires and wish I could have lived there for more than a semester. It definitely was worthwhile and I can't wait to go back.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
At first, it was pretty difficult to escape the 'us/american bubble'. I stayed with a host mom, but also had a host sister who was another student from the US. The administration in Buenos Aires did help (it has a language partners program, and you can join sports teams at local universities), but ultimately I relied on my own resources to escape the bubble and meet porteños. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Buenos Aires is a big city, so you have to just be smart. Advice for future students: only take taxis that are marked 'radio taxi', and pay attention to the meter. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
Breakfast and dinner during the weekdays were provided by my host mom. I paid for lunch all days. Weekends you're on your own. |
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 |
Spanish language use wasn't reinforced by the teachers or administration at the institute. Professors at the institute sometimes used english in the classroom in the advanced spanish classes. A spanish-only lunch was set up for students wanting to practice their spanish on wednesdays, but only met three times and fell apart. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | Make friends outside of the institute, try to get placed in a family without another US student, take partner university courses. |
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? | I feel like it would have been easier for me personally to do direct-enrollment at a university, the program would have been great for a student who wanted to go abroad and slowly be transitioned into living internationally (and stay in the American/US bubble), but I came with the intention of making friends with the locals and improving my Spanish. Eventually, luckily I was able to make a small group of good friends who were porteños, and ended up having a great experience in Buenos Aires. With that said, my professors at the institute were great, the administrative staff is really helpful when you ask, and the expeditions offered by the program were fantastic. Perhaps IES Buenos Aires would be improved by making it smaller (I don't even know how many students were enrolled) and by placing a stronger emphasis on Spanish-speaking at the institute. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
