My SIT experienced pushed me to be a better student and Spanish speaker Past Review
By Laura H (Global Studies, University of Iowa) - abroad from 02/25/2019 to 06/10/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina - Public Health in Urban Environments
I gained knowledge in research skills, improved my Spanish and grew my understanding of the local culture. It was very worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This program did a wonderful job expanding my knowledge of public health, Spanish and research. I was able to visit many different hospitals and clinics in both the city and rural area. I got to experience the importance of public health first hand and see how socioeconomic factors play a role in access to health. I also accomplished a written 46-page paper in Spanish over a public health topic that I got to choose. Overall, this program pushed me to expand my knowledge and had wonderful resources to help guide me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff is phenomenal!! Everyone was incredibly supportive and really wanted to care for me and see me succeed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host mom and I were a great match. She respected my space and made sure I felt at home. She made foods I enjoyed and made me feel like a real daughter to her. |
| * Food: |
The food is delicious if you eat meat! The steak is the best I've ever had and the empanadas are to die for. The only downside is that there are not many vegetables and it is heavy on meat/potatoes/pasta. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program was isolated so it was hard to meet other local students. There are opportunities in the city to meet locals, like at conversational groups, but it would have been nice to interact with more students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I became very sick one weekend and needed to go to the hospital for antibiotics. The program made sure I was taken care of and helped me with accessing care. My host mom took me to the ER but we ended up having to wait over 2 hours. I had some issues with health insurance but once my insurance sent an email saying I was fully covered, I was good to go. I was very satisfied with my care. |
| * Safety: |
It is very important to be smart in Buenos Aires and always watch your phone and wallet. Many students ended up having their phones stolen. You cannot walk alone at night (after 11:30) and should take taxis at night whenever possible. That being said, I did feel safe in my living area of Recoleta. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I choose this program for the learning outside of the classroom component and for the challenge. I experienced both and improved my Spanish. |
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) |
All food is included in the program so I did not have to worry about spending money on that, unless of course I spent more than my budget. The food is very cheap there and overall it is a minimal cost country since the US dollar is a lot strong than the Argentine peso right now. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy travel tickets early. |
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? | Intermediate/Advanced courses in translation and literature |
| 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? | Speak as much Spanish as you can there! Read books, keep a journal, and watch movies in Spanish. Also do your best to talk to other people in your program in Spanish. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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 that I would be with the same 20 people for the entire program. |
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! |
