Buenos Aires: A Beautiful European Influenced City with all the Best Aspects of South America Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

In some classes I felt that I learned a ton, in others I felt like it was a little waste of my time. The grading system had a lot more to do with their opinion than points. Though some classes weren't the most challenging I have ever had, living in a Spanish-speaking country was challenging and I learned the most through it.

On-site administration of your program

The ISA staff were super friendly and helpful. However, ISA had the largest program size and I was disappointed at the number of Americans in my classes (sometimes my classes were 100% Americans).

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was right by the subway, which was extremely convenient. The area was also one of the most desirable and I had access to anything I would ever need right on my block. One of my roommates was one of my closest friends abroad. On the other hand, I felt like I was only a source of income to the family, not a family member. A lot of times breakfast was not provided (though it was supposed to be), our laundry was done rarely, the house was very dirty and the food was of a very low quality. Our host mom had a lot of mood swings, sometimes I felt like she liked us and other times I felt that she thought we were pests in her home. My housing was the worst part of my experience and I was disappointed, but it didn't stop me from having a great experience otherwise.

As I said above, the food served in my home stay was of very poor quality and quantity. Outside of my housing, there were some wonderful restaurants and cafes that I loved! Palermo Soho had the best restaurants, good value for the price!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The trip to Iguazu Falls was absolutely incredible, I will remember it for the rest of my life. I also traveled to Patagonia and saw the glaciers, which were amazing. All the side trips provided by ISA were great, with good food and really nice accommodations. BA had so many museums and attractions that were wonderful, I loved exploring the city.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Overall, I found BA to be safe for such a large foreign city. I had friends who had some incidents with pick pocketing, but I never experienced it myself. You have to take the precautions though. I didn't need any vaccines and there weren't many health issues. There were a lot of accidents with buses hitting people, you had to be aware when crossing the street because the pedestrian is not the priority.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I lived with a host family that only spoke Spanish. As well, my classes were all in Spanish. In touristy areas people spoke Spanish but for the most part your Spanish skills were put to test!

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans