Cathartic Chaos! Rejuvenating Friendships! Eye-Opening Exploration! September 23, 2024
By A student (International Global Studies and Political Science, Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/26/2024 to 06/29/2024 with
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
very worthwhile, very enriching.
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 classes themselves were of acceptable quality, with a wide stylistic breadth, but the course selection process needs a lot of improvement. I ended up in a class that I did not enjoy whatsoever that came highly recommended by the program, and that I did not have the possibility of switching out of. My schedule- with 6 hours of class only two days a week- was very difficult to manage. An academic advisor should have helped me craft a schedule that was balanced in terms of academic intensity and with a reasonable distribution of class time. Bi-weekly classes should be introduced. The one time I reached out to an academic advisor for help with communicating with a professor about a personal situation, the communication fell through, and I did not receive the accommodation the situation merited. The academic advisors were competent, kind, and available but grossly overextended, which resulted in the shortcomings I described above. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had to move home-stays and I could have been afforded more support with this transition. |
| * Food: |
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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? |
I put three stars because I had no major healthcare encounters. My host Mom helped me navigate the health care system concerning a one-time appointment. |
| * Safety: |
Not always safe, but these challenges were well communicated. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I like the structure of the program- I wanted to be immersed. Things could have been better but it was the type of program I wanted. |
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? | not sure |
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? | Spanish 105 (I self-placed into this level having recieved a 4 on AP Spanish Literature) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | Not sure- hard to remember retroactively how I was feeling about my preparation. |
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. |
