#SITArg: a semester I could never forget June 12, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

SIT is known for being one of the more academically demanding abroad programs, and that definitely turned out to be true. However, I think that is to the advantage of the program. Excursions, site visits, readings, and other assignments were all built around providing a deep understanding of the material we were learning. Everything seemed to build effortlessly off of the last thing, and it was really cool to be able to make connections to past lectures or visits and see just how truly interconnected the world is. The members of the administration were always willing to sit down with students to talk through complex concepts, and students who did so with themes they didn't understand the first time around were given points back on exams. This was not a punitive academic environment, but one where growth was really fostered and encouraged.

On-site administration of your program

I cannot say enough good things about our program administration. They are really a group of angels. I always felt like they had a handle on everything, and we rarely ever saw the moving parts behind the scenes. They did a great job of making sure our emotional needs were taking care of; every couple weeks we had individual check-ins, during the independent 4-weeks of the program we had weekly meetings to catch up and problem solve, and a few times during the program the whole group met with a therapist to group process our transition to a new country. It was so clear that they really cared about us students.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Every student lives in a homestay, which was by far one of the highlights of my time in Argentina. I feel like my language skills have vastly improved as I had no choice but to use them. Living in a homestay also helped me feel apart of something greater within Argentina. I went to family events, learned most about everyday porteño culture, and had a support system all built into my living situation. I feel so lucky to have been able to meet and be a part of my homestay family's life, and I am very sure I'll be back to visit them!

The structure of the meals is breakfast and dinner are provided by the homestay family and a stipend is provided for lunch. My homestay mom and sister are absolutely fantastic cooks and were so patient with accommodating my dietary restrictions. The stipend was also more than enough for a solid lunch. In my opinion, Argentine food isn't necessarily anything to write home about, not because it's bad, more because it doesn't have some of the characteristics I really enjoy in food. Porteños don't usually spice their food and almost 30% of the country doesn't salt their food (according to the last Argentine census), so that was definitely something I was hurting for at times. I did bring a few jars of spices with me, which definitely was my saving grace. The bread, pasta, and ice cream here are absolutely fantastic! There's also a fun fourth meal between lunch and dinner called merienda where it's customary to have a little treat and take a minute to breathe. It's so lovely.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

All of our classes were with the other students from the program, so there wasn't consistent way to meet porteños our age built into the program. I think we could have been given a better list of concrete resources on how to build connections here AND I think I could have done a better job branching out and building a stronger community around me. I know students who joined futbol or frisbee teams or went to climbing gyms, so there are definitely ways to do it, you just have to be a bit more intentional about putting yourself out there than you may have to in a program directly connected to a university.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I can't remember a time when I didn't feel safe in Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the program, we had a presentation to address safety and navigating the city, which was really helpful. Buenos Aires in general does not have a lot of crime, almost all of the crime that occurs here is petty crime coming from a place of desperation. This means there are generally things you can do to minimize your risk of being a target (hold your backpack in front of you while on public transportation, don't stand by a bus stop on an empty street at night, don't walk around while holding your iPhone in front of you, etc). One of the negatives of Buenos Aires is street harassment is not uncommon. Part of it is a cultural norm, but that doesn't negate the discomfort that it causes for people who experience it.

Everything from the people, to place, to program theme was exactly what I wanted and needed from an abroad program. I

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Inflation in Argentina is really bad (you'll learn a TON about this during the program). This means that I seemed to go through the stipends much faster at the end of the program. This is just part of daily life in Argentina, and it's MUCH worse for locals than it ever will be for people from elsewhere (especially the United States). I found the program stipend to be plenty for the necessities, but if I wanted to go go out or splurge on a meal, I need need to dip into my own money. One place where you save is on travel. There isn't a lot of time for travel like some other programs. You aren't allowed to leave Argentina for insurance reasons, and also we were kept pretty busy, so even if I could have, I probably wouldn't have. I know some people who did weekend trips to other place in Argentina (there is a TON to explore), but not feeling pressure to be in a different country every weekend definitely helped with not spending a ton of money. If you do study in Argentina, I recommend either bringing US dollars with you (new $100 bills without tears or creases will get you a better rate) or using Western Union to transfer money (also gets you access to a better rate. Two things to keep in mind about finances in Argentina 1) set a budget you are comfortable with and keep yourself accountable to stay within it and 2) there is enormous financial privilege that comes with being an estadounidense in Argentina; just keep that in the back of your mind, especially when interacting with Argentinians. Something that seems inexpensive to you is usually in reality not.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We were definitely encouraged to use Castellano as much as possible, especially in the field office, on visits, etc, but our group did use quite a bit of English when in social settings. Our classes were entirely in Castellano, our directors did not speak English to us, and in spaces around non-English speakers, we were encouraged to not use any English as it is viewed as disrespectful.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• The excursions to Patagonia and Northwest Argentina!
• The homestay
• The people/ professors/ administrators

• The language intensive classes were tedious at times

The Academic or Linguist