Life-changing Experience! Past Review
By Alec D (Learning & Organizational Change, Northwestern University) - abroad from 07/26/2017 to 11/26/2018 with
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
It was incredibly worthwhile. I learned a lot about Argentina's history and culture and made some incredible connections.
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. |
The program was great; I took some very interesting classes and met students from Argentina and from all over the world. However, the academic rigor was much lower than I am used to! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration team was incredibly supportive, and always available to help with any questions or concerns that I had throughout the program, and even after regarding travel plans. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a host mother, and it was great! I lived in a perfect location for exploring the city, had great meals and conversations with my host mother and her fiancee throughout the semester. |
| * Food: |
Luckily, my host mom was a great cook! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated with the local culture. I spent lots of time with locals; I played in a band at times with one of my professors and a friend of mine from IFSA. I had a girlfriend from Argentina throughout the experience and met plenty of locals/went to lots of local events through that social network. IFSA also provided countless opportunities to engage with the local culture, whether through entertainment, athletics or city tours. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A for my personal experience, but to my knowledge IFSA was great at dealing with other students' health concerns. |
| * Safety: |
In certain parts of Buenos Aires, you have to be very wary of pick-pocketing and thieves. I had my phone and camera stolen in San Telmo, and several attempts at my wallet and phone had been made previously while walking to class. That being said, I lived in a safe area, and never felt unsafe during IFSA events. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The Area Studies program adequately met all my goals and often went above and beyond! |
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 relatively cheap living in large part due to the incredibly cheap and convenient public transportation system and cheap food items available. Laundry was a weekly expense of about $12 for me. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't eat out too too often. Of course, explore the local food scene, but if your host family is willing to cook for you on weeknights, eat at home! |
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? | N/A |
| 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 things that you care about doing no matter what, and meet people through shared passions. For me, this was music. I was very motivated to meet musicians in Buenos Aires, and this forced me to practice my Spanish. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | It is so so so important to focus on living in the moment while abroad, and to not let things going on at home stress you out too much! The first month of my trip was not the best because I was often torn between working on projects pertaining to Northwestern or my summer internship rather than taking full advantage of all the fun and exciting opportunities that Buenos Aires offered. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
