Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Argentina, Gracias Por La Aventura Ultima! January 11, 2024

By (Art History, Criticism and Conservation, Berea College) - abroad from 05/17/2023 to 06/15/2023 with

KIIS: Argentina

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a wealth of cultural, historical, art historical, language, and other forms of knowledge. I also learned tango. Furthermore, outside of academics, I learned much about setting boundaries, taking care of myself, and coping with tragic family events happening at home while I was away. It was absolutely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The schedule absolutely maximized the time we had there. We fit an amazing amount of activities and content into the month.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They had many obstacles come their way like planned activities not being doable the day of but still found ways to adapt. I, myself, was sick twice throughout the program and the directors were life-savers, translating with medical personnel and being very understanding of my situation.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We had to move rooms two weeks in because another group had leaking in their ceiling and took ours. This was irritating and added stress when I was already sick.

* Food:

Argentina has a vast variety of wonderful food and there were many options within a few blocks of the hotel. It is also shockingly cheap.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We got to experience all the different facets of the local culture. There were many opportunities to interact with locals.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

We spent all day waiting for the doctor to come when I was sick the first time with no idea of when he would be getting there. At this point, I could not walk straight and was perpetually dizzy when upright, so this was very urgent. Still, his solutions were successful and the medicine I got the second time I was sick was both affordable and effective.

* Safety:

Pickpocketing is a real threat in Buenos Aires, we were well prepared and nothing like that seemed to happen. The buses, however, were extremely fast and would squeeze in between other vehicles like the Knight Bus from Harry Potter. Definitely hold on tight during bus rides. Also, leave La Boca before nightfall. It was scary. It was like a ghost town and it took forever to find the right bus.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

As much as I adore Argentina, I would use another program to see a different country. I would definitely return to Argentina, however.

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)

For tourists, Argentina is extremely cheap, especially food and transport. I arrived with I believe $300 in cash, not including what KIIS gave us. I left with $100 left that I never exchanged.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I ate well for about $12 a day. Bus/subway fare was about 10 cents.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you are interested in a tango show, those tend to be more expensive than just about anything else you can do because they're tourist attractions. I went to La Catedral Club where they had tango lessons. On Friday nights, they have tango shows after the tango lessons for no extra cost. I got a lesson and a show for the equivalent of $2 and it is still one of my most cherished memories of the program.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

As would be expected, Spanish is everywhere. I constantly leaned on my limited Spanish knowledge and succeeded surprisingly often in transactional situations. Oftentimes, however, when I struggled, the other person would also have some degree of English knowledge, so we could put our heads together to communicate.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? French 103
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Watching movies/television shows in that language always helps. Asking native speakers for local dialect tips is also very helpful. I used Duolingo like many others which was what most of my Spanish came from, but the longer you do it before the program, the better.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The places we visited and things we did.
  • How cheap everything was.
  • The art, including visual art, architecture, dance, music, crafts, and more.
* What could be improved?
  • Some visits/excursions could have been planned better. Places were closed/fully booked and we had to improvise.
  • One of my classes often lasted much longer than the others, leaving us with less time to eat and complete assignments.
  • The hotel wifi was terrible.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Take a durable umbrella. Mine broke during a torrential downpour on day two.

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 Urbanite
A 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.