Buenos Aires!! July 30, 2025
By A student (Spanish, Italian Studies, Colby College) - abroad from 02/24/2025 to 06/03/2025 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Buenos Aires
I learned so much about myself and about the world! I would definitely recommend studying abroad in Buenos Aires. The accent is not that difficult to navigate once you get used to it!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed taking classes at the Universidad de Buenos Aires Filosofía y Letras! I found the classes engaging, and the difficulty depended on which classes you chose. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I found some aspects of the program slightly disorganized compared to what I was used to, but I know that I come from a background of having a lot of structure (which I would say is different from the Argentinian culture I experienced in Buenos Aires). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had an awesome host family, but I know other students who struggled in their homestays for various reasons. The housing director is always available to talk about any issues with the homestays and you are able to move if needed! |
| * Food: |
I am gluten and dairy free, and my host mom did a great job accommodating for my dietary restrictions! However, Buenos Aires is not the easiest place to be gluten free (the typical Argentinian pastries and a lot of merienda options aren't gluten free, and there is a lot of pizza/pasta/empanadas), although there is a good labeling system for gluten free items in grocery stores. There were a bunch of dedicated gluten free and vegan restaurants in the city, though, you just have to look for them! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made a lot of international friends while in Buenos Aires, but it was only towards the end of the semester when I started to make more Argentinian friends. I wish I had had more time to get to know more people! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The program assisted me with my healthcare needs and the insurance they provided reimbursed me for the cost of almost everything, but my credit card used a different exchange rate to calculate the cost of the treatment, meaning that I ultimately paid for some of the medical care. |
| * Safety: |
I found Buenos Aires to be a very safe city, and I traveled solo around the country on several occasions and always felt safe doing so. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
If I could do it all again, I would either choose the same program or go without a program (if possible)! Most international students in Buenos Aires didn't have the same kind of structured program that we had as American students, but I'm not sure if it would have been possible from a credit transfer perspective to go without a program entirely. |
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) |
Buenos Aires has definitely gotten more expensive in the last couple of years, but it was still not as expensive as the Northeast US in my experience. It also depends on how often you eat out, since prepared food was a lot more expensive than ingredients. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep track of what you're spending and make a budget spreadsheet! |
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? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | A 300 level Spanish course at Colby |
| 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? | Listen to podcasts and music, read in the language, watch TV and YouTube videos... and practice speaking whenever you can! Any practice you do will help you in the end. |
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? | Even though it may feel very far away from home, Buenos Aires is definitely worth it for an amazing study abroad experience! |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
