Buenos Aires ISA Staff, In need of change. Past Review
By Ashley O (Spanish, Northern Michigan University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Living in Buenos Aires was my third experience living abroad for a long period of time. So, I am very adaptable and enjoy meeting challenges in new living situations. So, in that aspect I loved living in Buenos Aires, I met wonderful people and traveled all over the country. That said, the ISA program is a total joke, the support is none-existen once one has paid Austin. I would never recommend ISA-ever. I am a strong proponent of study abroad. But this program was lacking in so many aspects.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teachers who worked with only internation students were wonderful. I survived the classes with Argentines, and ended up with good grades. It was difficult following classes without a syllabus or a list of assigned reading materials. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Terrible. I feel I have already discussed this point. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
First host family-terrible in all aspects. Second host family- good 4/5. |
| * Food: |
Poor quality of good- my host family did not cook- so frozen dinners were the norm. Very heavy in white bread, low in all other food sources. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The excursions and field trips are a total waste of money. I'm glad I had a second semester to travel on my own and see how much ISA was scalping the students--I traveled, stayed in comfortable hostels, ate better food and did more activities for less then ISA charges. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I clearly remember Federico telling us the first day in Buenos Aires at the meeting in the office, that when we were getting raped to stick the ISA emergency phone number card in between our legs- welcome to Buenos Aires and the ISA staff. I also love how ISA gives their students the GuiaT (guide to getting around the city via buses, trains and subways) but does not take a second to explain how to use it! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced with my SECOND host family, my first host family would laugh at any attempts to communicate with them and call me stupid. I also communicated with teachers and friends. I used spanish everyday. Almost all the international students spoke English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Choose a different program. Smaller programs have staff that CARE about their students. |
