What a porteño I am! Past Review

By Michael C (Spanish Language, Literature, Trinity University) - abroad from 05/29/2015 to 07/11/2015 with

IFSA: Buenos Aires - Advanced Language and Culture in Buenos Aires

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

First of all, I improved and became more comfortable speaking Spanish. The entire program was worthwhile because I had the chance to learn about a culture that doesn't have much representation in other countries. By that I mean that Argentine culture is often not presented in Spanish classes in the USA. I was very glad to participate in this program.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The professors were all native Argentinian professors who also taught at the university-level in Buenos Aires. The intensity was pretty high because of the number of hours per day and the number of days per week.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The IFSA-Butler office in Buenos Aires was extremely helpful in getting in touch with me and the other students. Especially, when I went to them with academic worries, did they offer me good advice and aid.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My host family was extremely helpful and welcoming. Also, my room was an ideal setting because it was private with a private bathroom. The family was very respectful of my privacy, but they also were interested in my stay and how I was spending my time. I had a great time getting to know the whole family!
* Food:	The food provided by my host family was often very good. However, the food I had in most restaurants--other than at a steakhouse--was not very satisfactory.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Although I didn't have full-time exposure to local students or other people my age, I feel that I had a good amount of exposure to the local culture through my host family and through explorations in the city.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I had no personal experience with health problems during the program. The program seemed to offer a lot of information and support regarding medical issues.
* Safety:	I never faced any problems with safety, nor was I told of any from my fellow participants. However, there were a few times at night when I would be worried about safety. And since a large part of living in Buenos Aires is taking taxis on the weekend, I would recommend that no one take a taxi alone.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)	I spent over US$200 some weeks, but about $100 others.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	US$150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	If you really want to save money, do not travel by plane. Spend time getting to know the city and the surrounding area on your days off. If you want to travel, going by bus is affordable, but be willing to lose a good amount of time because the buses take a long time.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language	They encouraged us to speak Spanish most of the time, but understood that we use English among ourselves.
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?	Advanced Spanish (post Advanced Grammar)
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?	Go out into the community as often as possible to have more contact with the native use of Spanish. In addition to that, do not be afraid to converse with some of the university students where you will be studying.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Extracurricular excursions Other (American) students classes
* What could be improved?	structure of courses variety of excursions
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had known to take as much money in cash to Argentina in order to exchange it later on because of the dynamic exchange rate.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Argentine History
Course Department:	History
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	The professor was quite knowledgeable and prepared for every class time. It was quite interesting and all of the assessments (homework, papers, and presentations) were effective in involving the students (myself included) in the class materials.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Advanced Spanish and Argentine Culture
Course Department:	Spanish
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	It was only slightly challenging. However, the instructor was very knowledgeable and seemed prepared. Some of the assessments were a bit unclear in that they were not explained completely before they were due. The main papers were, however, very clearly explained.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Latin American and Argentine Literature
Course Department:	Spanish
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Spanish
Comments:	Both professors were very knowledgeable and seemed well-prepared for each class period. It was quite challenging because of the amount of readings and the paper topics were also quite difficult. However, all of the assessments were well structured and explained thoroughly.
Credit Transfer Issues: