Building a Home away from Home Past Review
By Elena Lucine LeFevre (Bard College) - abroad from 02/28/2017 to 07/09/2017 with
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
I felt at home in BsAs because I was welcomed into the Armenian community, but I had friends who found communities playing sports, or videogames, or dancing, so it was clear that going out and involving yourself in cultural spaces is worthwhile, even if it might be scary at first.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
IFSA's Argentine Universities Program is excellent because it allows you to take courses at local, prestigious universities in Buenos Aires. UBA (Universidad de Buenos Aires) is the most academically rigorous and I absolutely loved the course that I took there. If your Spanish is at a high enough level to handle the coursework, I highly recommend it! If not, IFSA itself has many options where you can comfortably improve your Spanish and learn about different aspects of Argentine history and culture at the same time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The members of the IFSA staff are extraordinarily organized and helpful. They are always available and happy to help you with any problem, big or small. They are also just genuine and compassionate people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I ended up switching host families about halfway through my program, but I should have done so earlier. If you're not comfortable where you are, the staff at IFSA will be incredibly proactive and helpful in finding the right host home for you. |
| * Food: |
The food in Buenos Aires is often delicious, but I did find it difficult to eat healthy on a budget. My host mom fed me really well, always hitting all the food groups, and I really appreciated that. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
IFSA facilitated my ability to work an internship at a local women's NGO. This was not only wonderful in itself but also connected me to local friends. Joining a local church choir and folk dance group was also really helpful in that regard. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did get terribly ill at one point, but IFSA gave us the number to a doctor who came to my house right away. I was too sick to go pick up the medicine myself, so my host mom was kind enough to get it for me. I had to pay the doctor out of pocket but ultimately IFSA made the reimbursement process very easy. |
| * Safety: |
I never personally faced any safety incidents -- but I would just advise anyone to keep their wits about them, as they should in any big city of the world. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Buenos Aires is a wonderful place. I'm from NY, but living there still made me feel like I could go anywhere, do anything. I also found a community there where I felt immediately welcome and at home. |
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) |
Buenos Aires is cheaper than Manhattan, but it's still a major city and tourist destination, so it is not the cheapest place to go. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a Xoom account -- this way you will not get charged $5.00 every time you withdraw cash from the ATM. |
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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 200 level Spanish class |
| 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? | Do your best to spend time with local friends! It is often tempting and more comfortable to hang out with your other American friends from the program, but if you are speaking Spanish in your free time then you will really improve. |
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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| 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? |
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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 should have made a Xoom account at the very beginning. Those $5.00 ATM fees really killed my budget... Overall, though, going abroad (for most) is going to be a totally new and surprising experience. This is a big part of why doing it is such a wonderful thing. So, don't feel like you need to be over-prepared. Just arrive with an open heart and mind. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
