Ups & Downs in Argentina Past Review
By A student (Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies., Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/20/2012 to 07/07/2012 with
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
I got the opportunity to practice my Spanish and to take some wonderful trips - it was worthwhile because of the great experiences I had and the friends I made while traveling during school breaks.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Buenos Aires Universidad Torcuato di Tella |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Through this program it's possible to take courses directly through Argentine universities, though there are also courses offered specifically through the program just for program participants. The classes offered through the universities can can be quite rigorous, but the program classes are not. |
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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? |
The program is very good at pairing students with compatible host families; however, home-stays are the only housing option and as a student accustomed to living independently off-campus I at times found it very difficult to be living in a home-stay. |
| * Food: |
Meals are provided through the home-stay. Limited vegetarian/vegan options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The aspects of living with a host family and taking classes at various different universities are pretty atypical in the local culture and at times made it difficult to relate. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
As with any major city, there are risks, but a little common sense goes a long way. I had no safety-related incidents, though I know other students on my program did. |
| 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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably between $30-$50 per week when not traveling, more when traveling. |
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 |
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| 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 |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Hisp 160 |
| 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? | Reading/writing in the language on your own time (i.e. not for schoolwork purposes), and spending time with other foreigners who aren't native English speakers - that way you have to speak the language of the host country but you aren't so nervous about messing up. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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 wish I'd known how long it would take to get around the city before I enrolled in classes at different institutions, and also how much time I'd be spending with other program participants before I signed up to take program-specific classes. |
