Past Review
By Nicole B (Technical and Business Writing., Ithaca College) for
IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Society & Culture
Of course it was worth while. The program was horrible although I had heard similar things about IES before i left; i should have listened. I am a much more understanding person. I am grateful for what I have and what my country offers me no matter what great problems I have with it.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was not challenged and felt like it was a joke. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Chicago, where IES is based out of, has to much control over the host country. The books were terrible in the Spanish classes, the forced weekly vocabulary tests that were NOT for Castalleno (the type of Spanish spoken in Argentina) were horrid. The teachers and administrators were underpaid (LESS THAN 5 U.S DOLLARS AN HOUR) and obviously lacked motivation because of this. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Recoletta. I was robbed a block from my house. My host mom DID NOT FEED ME ALL THE MEALS SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO. She acted annoyed that i didn't go out more (it was not financially feasible for me) and refused to speak Spanish to me because I had none when i got there and had difficulty understanding her. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN APARTMENT OPTION. <br /><br /> At least i wasn't one of the kids that were locked out of their homes in the middle of the night because their host families didn't like them. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made some great friends but the social status of the students caused a lot of division in the program. Also, the facilities were depressing and two small for the 180 students that needed to use them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
They warned us about swine flu, okay, they did fine and they told us when people were robbed and all the other dangers but they couldn't make me feel safe. Buenos Aires is a tough, tough city and Argentina is a tough country with a lot of social class stratification. I was robbed at gunpoint and pushed down on the street. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-75 U.S. dollars but i lived simply. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | don't eat near the IES center for lunch. bring your own lunch or go to the Asian market nearby and eat the inexpensive buffet. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
This was a given. I had to learn on my own and get street smart quick |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you're looking for an easy ride, already are fluent in Spanish, and want to party a lot. Do this program. If you're looking for more, look elsewhere. |
