Finding myself in Buenos Aires Past Review
By Riane C (International Relations And Global Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/22/2014 to 06/28/2014 with
IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Society & Culture
I loved the IES program, I only put "no" because there were other American kids we mixed and met with from other International Programs and I would be curious to know what kind of experiences those are.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There was a lot of work (reading and worksheets for Spanish classes) but classes weren't necessarily that challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was so great and friendly and always available. The one thing I wish there had been more of were group outings in the middle of the semester. We had a lot the first two weeks and a lot the last few weeks but not that many in the middle. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Prepare yourself: Argentina food is BLAND. But there are so many amazing restaurants in Buenos Aires to discover. I miss them already. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being an American is just something you have to get used to. For the most part, people were lovely. But there are always some moments where you are made to feel out of place by some. You just have to power through it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didnt really have any major health issues while abroad |
| * Safety: |
I kept my guard up in the moments that i needed it and nothing bad ever happen to me. It's all about being aware of your surroundings and not being an idiot. That being said, I still had pretty fantastic experiences going out and partying with friends. Just be smart. |
| 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) |
Living abroad is expensive. I gave myself a budget of 100 (American) dollars a week. Now inflation sometimes messed with that and sometimes I just ended up spending a little over. I would prepare before leaving because there will be so many things you want to do while you're there and unfortunately sometimes money is necessary. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-200 American Dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Work and save money before. Also, if you are planning on going out for drinks all night with friends, i highly recommend buying yourselves your own alcohol to pregame with before. Drinks get CRAZY expensive and by the end of the night you'll realize you've spent 700 pesos (relatively 70 dollars when I was there). |
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 |
I really wish that IES had all of our tours in Spanish. They were always in English because there were varying degrees of Spanish-speakers, but I think that it really didn't help any of us learn the language better. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Second upper division spanish class |
| 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 in the host country FROM the host country. I did not do this and i regret it everyday. My spanish would have improved and I could've met so many more cool people. It's scary at first but the thing is that they WANT to talk to you so they can practice their English most of the time. Just make sure you make them speak to you in Spanish sometimes. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | MAKE LOCAL FRIENDS |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Drugs and Violence in Latin American Literature and Film |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Mariano SL |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course taught me to think about drugs in literature and film and our world in completely different ways. Also including a history of the drug trade in latin america and the united states since we cannot exclude the US from the analysis. Mariano gave great articles and pieces to read and analyze and class discussions were always stimulating. Great course, my favorite during my time abroad with IES. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Don't really know yet I haven't received my credits yet. |
