A great experience, but not as immersive as I thought Past Review
By Nadira Berman (University of Pennsylvania) - abroad from 07/24/2017 to 12/02/2017 with
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
I learned to be braver and to go outside my comfort zone more. It was definitely worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some courses were rigorous, but overall, there was not much schoolwork. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I loved the program staff. They were very supportive and helpful throughout my time abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I liked my host mom. We didn't have any problems. |
| * Food: |
No problems with the food, but it wasn't anything special. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't make any local friends, but I still felt like I had opportunities to experience the local culture through volunteering. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city definitely felt unsafe at times, but as long as I was smart and responsible, everything went fine. Although nothing happened to me, several of my friends had experiences with thieves. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I knew I wanted to go to Argentina, and this program was the only one my school provided there. |
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) |
The city definitely wasn't cheap. It was about the same as I spend in Philadelphia at school. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Book trips far in advance in order to get the best prices on hotels and tickets. |
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? | 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? | Advanced Spanish |
| 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? | Don't be afraid to speak the language. Take advantage of all time spent with your host family because it's easiest to practice with them. |
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? | 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? | The classes may seem hard at first, but they end up being easy. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
