Argentina: one of the best decisions I ever made Past Review
By Audrey N (Sociology and Spanish, Trinity University) for
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina - Social Movements and Human Rights
Yes! I can't believe I ever questioned not going. I have quite the travel bug now and I'm making plans for this summer already...:)
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was challenging but I feel like the independent study project gave me a lot to show for all my hard work and I loved the freedom of being able to create my own work schedule during that time. I also feel like the trips and classes we had helped me learn a lot about the social history of Argentina which really enriched my experience. It was difficult at times, but if I could go back I wouldn't have had it any differently! |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff was great! Readily accessible and a great support system when things got rough; I can't say enough positive things about them. They were also extremely knowledgeable about the country (two were from there, the other was from Chile). I loved the size of the program, too, a smaller group meant I got a lot more personal attention. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Loved my apartment, I lived with a single woman who was absolutely amazing--a warm, interesting person and a great cook as well. I lived only two blocks from the center where classes were (the closest out of any of the people in my program). I lived about a 15 minute cab ride from the real nightlife hubs, but cabs are cheap and it was never an issue. |
| * Food: |
She was a vegetarian and I wasn't, but the program made sure this was ok with me and I didn't mind it at all. Great restaurants in Buenos Aires, check out Tandoor for indian food, La Cabrera for great steaks...and the peanut butter is in healthfood shops in Palermo! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Great excursions to the north and south! |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
They covered these topics in orientation. I had to go to a hospital once after I fell on a cactus but it was pretty organized and covered by the program. As far as safety in the city goes, I felt safe, but you have to be smart about it. I got used to being aware of where my bag was on the subway, always put it in front of me, and I didn't go walking out alone at night in my neighborhood (although there are some where its safe to do that). The biggest issue was probably fake bills, we got a few during our time there from cab drivers (so always take Radio Taxis and be sure to have correct change). |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Not much, I lived pretty cheaply. The program gave us a stipend for food which allowed for lunch everyday a meal out on the weekend, the rest of the time I ate in my homestay. Cab rides were cheap, as were the subway and buses. I think I probably spent around 200 pesos a week, about 50 USD, and thats a generous estimate. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There's a reciprocity fee to enter the country-it was something like 140 dollars and I had no idea about it before. People told me to bring enough toiletries, etc. for the whole semester but Buenos Aires is a big city and all of those things can be purchased there. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Classes were in Spanish but I would say I mostly learned from my host mother, she was extremely patient and we sat down to eat dinner together everyday which was a great practice time for me. We also had an intensive spanish class which was helpful, the 16 of us were divided into four levels so the classes were small (but three hours at a time, intense!). I feel like I improved my spanish a lot but didn't really give thought to what the excursions with other American students would do to my language acquisition...for example, a trip to the north of Argentina for two weeks with 16 Americans resulted in a lot of English speaking, even though we had promised to speak Spanish--it's just hard to avoid speaking it when its so much easier-- and when I returned to the city I could feel that I had lost a bit of my Spanish. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The workload seems daunting, but it's totally worth it, I learned things about Argentina I felt like the typical tourist or study abroad student wouldn't learn and they made my experience that much more rich. |
