Con amor para el Fin del Mundo August 26, 2025
By Bea C (Environmental Studies, Public Health, Spanish, University of Vermont) - abroad from 02/19/2025 to 06/02/2025 with
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina: People, Environment, and Climate Change in Patagonia and Antarctica
I feel I experienced so much growth in my skill, fluency, and confidence in speaking Spanish through classes, living with a host family, and conversing with locals. I gained a much deeper understanding of cultural, social, and environmental issues relating to the region of southern Patagonia through both coursework and excursions. I made some great friends, saw some incredibly beautiful places, and lived experiences that few will ever get to take part in.
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. |
I felt this program had a great balance of both classroom work and hands-on field experience. The weekly schedule of classes and assignments was very manageable, and allowed for the ability to explore the environment and culture in one's free time. The excursions helped to contextualize learning, deepen understanding, and add to overall fun and exploration during the program! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program administration staff are all wonderful! They were always available to help with anything, from academics to travel recommendations. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The homestay was one of my favorite parts of this program! Not only did it help improve my Spanish skills tremendously, but it also is a great way to get exposed to many different cultural aspects. My host family was incredibly kind and made me feel very welcome, and I will continue to stay in touch with them! |
| * Food: |
As a vegetarian, it can sometimes be hard to find variety of options or specific foods in Ushuaia. My advice is to be open to new foods and to also prepare yourself to have a slightly different diet than you might at home. Overall though, it is totally do-able as a vegetarian, you just have limited options sometimes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The people of Ushuaia are very kind, and if you make an effort to try new things and get to know the community it is very well received. While it can be a touristy area, it is also a small town, so over the course of the program you start to feel more and more in tune with the locals and the culture in general. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues during the program, but I did need to get a couple of medical tests for my final internship. The program administrators were very helpful with this, and it was very quick and easy to go through this process with them. |
| * Safety: |
In my opinion, Ushuaia is a very safe city. I never once felt unsafe in the city, and quite honestly I felt safer there than I do in my city in the US. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program was truly amazing! I feel so confident that this was the best abroad program I could have picked for both my academic and personal interests. I loved my time in Ushuaia and it would be a dream to get to travel to that part of the world again. |
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) |
Some things in Ushuaia can be more on the expensive side, especially with the fluctuation of the Argentinian economy. I found that most of the shops in the main part of town were more expensive, but grocery stores and bakeries were relatively reasonable or cheap. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably around $100 a week, sometimes less and sometimes more |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Ubers are pretty cheap but the bus is cheaper and pretty reliable during the day. Also, most restaurants are fairly expensive but bakeries are pretty cheap. |
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 |
Spanish was always encouraged, the majority of my interactions with program staff was all in Spanish. |
| 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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 3000 level Spanish courses in college |
| 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? | Just try your best! It is okay to make mistakes, and the more you try the better you will be. |
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? | I wish I knew just how amazing Ushuaia is!! If you are a lover of the outdoors, this program is such a great way to see some of the most beautiful places on this earth!! I also wish I knew to not worry about the homestay, and to just trust the process because it ended up being one of my favorite and most valuable parts of my 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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
