Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I learned to be disorganized and to love it! Past Review

By (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/24/2013 to 07/05/2013 with

IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be independent and to understand a city and a culture from my own perspective and to take things for what they are. It was very worthwhile and if I could I would do it again.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Because this program gives the freedom for students to choose from 5 different Argentine Universities the level of intensity varies from class to class, university to university, but the classes I was enrolled in seemed to have as much work as I would have had at my home university and on top of that everything was in spanish.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The program staff was very helpful, I can honestly say that with everything I needed they were there to give me the support and care that I was accustomed to.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Because it was a big city I was living it, at first it was a bit difficult to integrate myself but by the end I felt like I had a real life there.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had an allergic reaction while abroad and there was a hospital around the corner from my home stay and the program directors came to see me and assist me in the hospital as soon as they heard about my situation. They made me feel right at home and as though I had a family to support me.

* Safety:

As any big city, Buenos Aires has dangerous neighborhoods and sneaky people but as long as one applies common sense to their everyday lives everything is as safe as it can get.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

In the beginning I was unaware how much money I was spending but once I became accustomed to the cost of specific food items and I came to understand how to spend my money efficiently.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $30-50 a week depending.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try not to eat at restaurant all the time, as I did, because that was a definite waste of the majority of my money.

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? HISP 105
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? Speak int that specific language as much as you possibly can, and avoid speaking in english to your american friends in programs. Also try to make friends that are natives in said language and they can also help you improve.

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 support
  • the planned events and get aways
  • the professors
* What could be improved?
  • city preparation
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that I would need to find my own cell phone and subway card because that was difficult when orientation was occurring at the same time. It was a bit overwhelming.

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!