Buenos Aires Changed My Life--In a Bad Way Past Review
By Laura R (Film Studies, Barnard College) for
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
The only good things I have to say are that my Spanish improved exponentially and that I earned a lot of academic credits.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Cinema |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was relatively comparable to that at Barnard; some classes were heavier, while some were lighter. However, no evaluations were given until the end of the semester, if even then (I still have not received a transcript almost 3 months after the semester's conclusion). IFSA-Butler spent a great deal of "academic" orientation talking about the differences between the universities, but left students largely unprepared for how to adjust to an academic system that was so different from our own and almost impossible to navigate if we wished to get our questions answered on our own. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were always very accessible and willing to help, even if that help was often lacking. They obviously knew a great deal about the Argentine educational system, but as most of the staff were Argentine and had not studied extensively in the US, they were largely unable to help us understand and navigate the opaque educational system of Buenos Aires. The program had a list of healthcare professionals to whom they would refer students in the event of illness or other needs. The two I visited were confusing to schedule with and certainly not up to US standards of care. When a student has those kinds of needs in a foreign country, they need even more guidance and support than usual. If I needed help with insurance or scheduling, I was told to speak with one of the program heads or my academic advisor, which I felt would violate my need for privacy, so I ended up trying the navigate the system on my own, which was severely stressful on top of my already-overwhelming health concerns. In my opinion, the program needs an in-office, English-speaking doctor, nurse, or simply a staff member devoted purely to health-related needs abroad. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My first housing assignment was as far as it could have possibly been from the university where I was taking classes. The program office knew my academic interests ahead of time and clearly did not take this into account when assigning me to a host family, though there were plenty of host families located closer to my university. I eventually applied to change host families when the daily travel time became too much, but I was given two options (neither of which fit the criteria I requested from the housing staff member) of host family and told I had to go visit both families and choose one within 24 hours. I was treated well by both host families, though I was always acutely aware that they were being paid to host me. |
| * Food: |
Vegetarians and health freaks will find themselves low on options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The trip to Uruguay was nice. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Comments above. [The program had a list of healthcare professionals to whom they would refer students in the event of illness or other needs. The two I visited were confusing to schedule with and certainly not up to US standards of care. When a student has those kinds of needs in a foreign country, they need even more guidance and support than usual. If I needed help with insurance or scheduling, I was told to speak with one of the program heads or my academic advisor, which I felt would violate my need for privacy, so I ended up trying the navigate the system on my own, which was severely stressful on top of my already-overwhelming health concerns. In my opinion, the program needs an in-office, English-speaking doctor, nurse, or simply a staff member devoted purely to health-related needs abroad.] |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveler's cheques are useless. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish-language literature and culture classes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I spoke Spanish with almost everyone, including my host family, the program staff, and other American students. The only time I ever spoke English was in social interactions with other American students--though the program made it clear that we should be speaking Spanish even with each other, and sometimes we did. |
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? | Use this program only if you already know there are things about Buenos Aires culture that appeal to you. It is best for students who enjoy nightlife and partying, not so good for students who enjoy relaxed social interaction and other social aspects typical to dorm life and college culture. |
