The nature is cool, but the people are even better January 01, 2024
By Rose N (Environmental Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/06/2023 to 12/18/2023 with
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina: People, Environment, and Climate Change in Patagonia and Antarctica
I gained a strong relationship with my host family, a relationship I plan on continuing while I am in the US. I also gained many experiences in Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica, which let me understand the variance between different ecosystems, even if they are of the same biome type. I also learned a lot about the Spanish language and improved my abilities. I think it was worthwhile, I had as close to a perfect experience as any student can hope to have on a study abroad experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses had great breadth, but very little depth. Students need to pursue their academic interests on their own time by asking instructors questions after lectures. You have many researchers as your academic resources, but you need to take the initiative to utilize them as the base classes and assignments were very easy. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administrators were very caring and make an effort to check in on students and to ensure people can succeed in the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very lucky with my host family. They treated me like family, and we got along amazingly. |
| * Food: |
The program will ensure you have more than enough food during excursions, and will give you food stipends while you're living with your host family that is much more money than you need. However the food available in Ushuaia isn't great. Not bad, but not great. Definitely won't starve, but people don't go to Ushuaia for the food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My Spanish professor, host family, and others all invited me to different social and cultural events. People are super nice in Ushuaia, and if you make an effort to go to these events it is super easy to make meaningful relationships with the locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The program administrators were super helpful when I needed to go to a hospital. The care I got was very comparable to health care in the US, and much cheaper. However, the health insurance process with SIT is super tedious so when I told the health insurance company what had happened I ended up wishing I hadn't as it lead to way too many emails, calls, and texts than was necessary. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Ushuaia. I lived in the city center, so streets are well lit and easy to navigate. However, some of my friends lived on the edges of the city. These parts are more dangerous as there are stray dogs that can be aggressive. If you stay out late, be sure to take the bus home or take a taxi. Taxis are very cheap and convenient. |
| 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) |
The program gives you enough money for food, and the extra money you can use to go out. However, if you want to go out every weekend, have a gym membership, or do more tourist oriented activities you will need to spend some of your own money. I spent 100 dollars every 2-3 weeks to go out, go on hikes, or to get souvenirs which was much less than I expected to spend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Good lunch spots: isla vegana, terra licuori, cafe martinez. Getting snacks at a grocery store is way cheaper than getting a snack at a cafe every day. Check what rate you get on your credit card. In the semester I was abroad it was just as cheap, if not cheaper, to use a credit card than to change money to pesos and pay with cash. |
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 |
All courses are in Spanish, you live with a Spanish speaking family, and the program encourages you to go to Spanish speaking events throughout the semester. |
| 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? | 104b, an intermediate spanish speaking course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Refresh yourself on present, past, and future tenses before coming to the program. Push yourself to speak with your host family and to regularly speak spanish on your free time, either at a gym or a class. Speaking spanish regularly will help build your confidence and augment your experience during the program. |
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? | The experiential learning in this program means that you're learning from local professors and professionals about their areas of expertise. You are meant to ask questions if you find something interesting. Don't expect classes to build on one another, as they will all have a new lecturer with a new field of interest. As such, the courses aren't going to be in depth. |
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! |
