Buenos Aires Un Quilombo Past Review
By David G (International Business and Marketing, Trinity University) for
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
Definitely worthwhile. I thoroughly enjoyed the country the people and the locations that Argentina had to offer.
Personal Information
| 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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpfull kind. They treated us like family. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a host family that had 3 daughters and rented out 3 rooms besides my own. They accepted me as one of their own. And generally rented out the other rooms to South American Students. While I was there I lived with 2 Venezuelans and 1 Costa Rican. They were able to meet locals better and helped me along with my spanish. The best host family I have ever stayed in. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Buenos Aires has some bad areas but again it only takes a little getting used to. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | Around 600 Pesos every 2 weeks. About 150 bucks on a cheap period. Sometimes spending 600 Pesos per week during an expensive spell. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would say eating out is the most expensive aspect. Also snacks and food other than what the host family gives you was also was a bit pricey at times. Transport was almost never an issue unless you live far from the center and had to us a Taxi everytime. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Don"t hang out with the students in your program. Or as little as possible. Join clubs and gyms like you would back in the states where you would normally meet people. Extracurricular activities etc. Don't be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Where do I begin? I think the most important thing to say is your not at home. So while a normal routine is great, why on earth would you go back to a normal routine that your more than likely going to return to when you go back home? Putting it simply, do things your normally wouldn't or can't when you're back in the states. Travel somewhere really different, even if you can't find a friend to go with go alone! Hostals are safe provided you do your research. Its very easy to get sucked into the constant partying with 300 American students lifestyle and while this is fun. Smaller groups, more locals, tiny bars and cafe's you have never heard of or will maybe never find again. Are so much more rewarding, and they get old a lot slower. |
