I LOVED South America and can't wait to go back! Past Review

By (English, Spanish Civiliation, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 02/20/2012 to 07/07/2012 with

IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to plan and travel around South America without any outside help, I learned how to successfully navigate the public transportation system, I learned how to successfully communicate with people in another language, and most importantly I learned how to take advantage of living in and learning about another culture. It was DEFINITELY worthwhile.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Universidad del Salvador
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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

My host mother (Vicky Zorraquin) was an excellent chef! Even though Argentine food is not great, I definitely ate better than everyone else in my program.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

IFSA kept telling us not to take taxis or hail taxis off the street. Taxis were much safer, however, than wandering around at night lost.

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)

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? ~1000 Argentine pesos

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

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? SPN 327W Advanced Grammar and Composition II
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The freedom to explore another country on my own
  • Leaning another language
  • Meeting new people
* What could be improved?
  • Orientation was pretty boring
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I feel like I was pretty prepared. I got a little more homesick than I expected about 6 weeks in but other than that I didn't have any major problems.