Everything I could hope for June 22, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This program is academically rigorous, as advertised, but also offers so much support for students. Experiential learning was heavily emphasized, and organizational visits, historical tours, and museum visits were an important part of our learning. Otherwise, we had lectures from experts in their fields give classes on specific topics rather than having one stable professor. As part of the program, I also did an Independent Study Project, which was the biggest research project I had ever undertaken. But with the support of my excellent Research Methods and Ethics professor, academic director, and my personal thematic advisor and Spanish tutor, the project was a success and I learned so much in the process.

On-site administration of your program

The coordinators are some of the kindest, most patient, and understanding people I've ever met. I cannot imagine this program without all of the hours of care and love they put into it. Any student would be lucky to have them as program administrators. I certainly was!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had an incredible homestay experience. I got matched with a young queer couple whose interests aligned closely with mine. As a queer and nonbinary person, I felt so comfortable and safe in their home, and we had a lot of fun together. Not everyone in my program had as good a match as mine, but most were happy in their homestays.

I will be honest that Argentinian cuisine is not my favorite, but my host parents' food was some of the best I had in the country. And, as a vegetarian, it was not hard to find food options.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Being close to my host moms helped a lot with cultural integration, because I got to meet their friends and family and do local activities with them. However, not everyone on my program had that same experience. Balancing spending time with the group and speaking English with doing things around the city was sometimes difficult, but once I got into a rhythm I felt pretty integrated into the local culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Luckily I didn't have personal experiences with health issues abroad, but I had friends in the program who did, and they always received direct support from the coordinators, even going with them to doctor's appointments.

I felt really safe in Buenos Aires, even safer than I do in the US. Because public transportation is used to frequently, there are always people out and about, including at night. Night life goes well into the morning in Buenos Aires, so I felt comfortable walking around the city at night. I was warned frequently about pickpockets, and it is an issue in the city, but I didn't feel nearly as afraid of theft in my every day life as I expected, only in really crowded, busy areas.

This program had everything I was looking for: language immersion, rigorous academics, supportive local staff, homestay experience, time in the city, excursions, and a social justice focus. Beyond that, I was so lucky to have a great group of fellow students and an amazing homestay family, which really made the experience what it was for me.

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

I lived easily on the stipend provided by SIT. Because of the power of the dollar in Argentina, most everyday things like food, my data plan, transportation, and laundry were pretty inexpensive.

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

We were encouraged to use Spanish in our homestays, in classes, organization visits, and around the headquarters. We mostly spoke English among ourselves, but we had to create norms around our language use.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• social-justice focus
• incredible staff
• opportunity to see different parts of the country

• communicating logistics with more advanced notice
• varying class structure- having not only lecture-style classes

The Academic or Linguist