Argentina: Discovering the Freedom of Youth Culture Past Review
By Ethan P (Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology, Spanish, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor) for
ISA Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina
I've never had more fun in my life than my semester at the Universidad de Belgrano. Interesting academics, great people in the study abroad program (people who choose to study abroad and choose to do it in the same place share an incredible bond), great cultural opportunities, and a great support staff made the experience fantastic.
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 teaching methods were similar (small lecture with note-taking from professor's explanations), but the testing was a little different. For all of my classes, I had to pick a topic of my own choosing that related to the material of the class, write a paper (of varying length) regarding the subject, then defend the paper to the professor in a one-on-one interview. Although it was kind of intimidating, I found it to be cool because I had become friends with all of my professors over the course of the semester, so it became more of a casual discussion about the subjects I had chosen. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff at ISA was fantastic. They were friendly, accommodating, excited to have us there, and extremely knowledgeable about Buenos Aires and traveling to different parts of Argentina. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My house was one neighborhood away from the touristy part of the city where all the nightlife happened. Although my host family was kind of strange, they were open to my comings and goings at all hours of the day and night. |
| * Food: |
Being a vegetarian in the beef capital of the world (Argentina) would be difficult, but I knew people who did it and survived. The food was fantastic. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Always lots of fun activities and places to explore in Buenos Aires. I got to see Argentina v. Ecuador in River Plate Stadium for a World Cup qualifier. Great concerts, great low-key music scene, lots of creativity in the youth culture. Great vibes from people in general. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The only time I ever spoke English was with fellow Americans studying abroad, and even then a lot of it was Spanglish. Otherwise I spoke Spanish exclusively. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Make sure to try and make friends with host country nationals who are around your age. They will know the ins and outs better than any tourism guide and will give you a whole different perspective on life from that of your peers who choose to hang out exclusively with fellow Americans. |
