Difficult Academics Worth Language Payoff September 12, 2023
By Clara B (Psychology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/27/2023 to 07/07/2023 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Buenos Aires
I learned a lot about Argentinian culture and language, and found the experience of both daily life out of the house and academics in Buenos Aires worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had very interesting and intense classes at the University of Buenos Aires. They were extremely difficult but worth putting in effort for. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Often disorganized, but did have student interest and content in mind all of the time. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I ended up unsatisfied with my housing due to the attitude and actions of my host mother. I wasn't particularly happy and wished I hadn't had to come home to an uncomfortable environment. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This was the most amazing and integral part of my abroad experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues but healthcare seemed very accesible |
| * Safety: |
I had no safety issues and felt comfortable in the city even late at night |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I appreciated the resources the Middlebury program gave me, but think I would have had a more enjoyable experience had I been able to experience the level of individuality and home comfort that I wanted. |
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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5-10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Limit going out to eat if you can, and walk/bike where you can! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 300 |
| 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? | Join local community groups/sports teams and make friends! It was a great way to chat about daily life without stress and anxiety about language ability. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How hard academic life at the University of Buenos Aires is! |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Psicología de la Música |
| Course Department: | Artes |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Castellano |
| Comments: | This was a very challenging class without a strong background in music. It focused more on music than psychology, but was still very interesting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Teorías Psicológicas de la Subjetividad |
| Course Department: | Educación |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | Castellano |
| Comments: | This was initially a difficult class with intense readings, but the exams were laid back and very individually based. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
