BsAs: A New Kind of Understanding Past Review
By Kaela D (Spanish/Sociology, Trinity University) for
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina - Social Movements and Human Rights
YES. See above. I badly want to go back and volunteer with the orgs I worked with during study abroad, as well as live and work and travel for a while before grad school. Phenomenal time in my life and I will forever have part of my heart in Argentina.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I have crazy diet restrictions (sensitive/allergic to milk, eggs, onions, corn) and all of my needs were easily met. My host mom was awesome and cooked to accomodate me (and cooked amazingly delicious meals). I had to avoid a large number of typical foods (pastries, pizza, empanadas) but there was still a huge number of options for me. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being friends with another South American helped hugely. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Altitude sickness in the north...horrible. We spent too long up there. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budget. You'll want more money at the end that you will at the beginning. I promise. No unanticipated expenses--the stipend provided by the program is good. |
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? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I came in the best Spanish speaker in my program, thought I wouldn't learn a lot, and ended up learning a ton simply from being in the country and from learning a whole new level of academic Spanish. The directors encouraged us to only speak Spanish between ourselves and we all made a commitment to do it as often as possible and followed through! So I spoke Spanish with my directors, professors, strangers, the Chilean I met and dated, my host mother and her friends, and the local friends I made in BsAs. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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Comments
Did you and the people you went with feel free to chose any research topic? If I wanted to research nutrition/vegetarianism in Buenos Aires do you think they would allow me to do so with this SIT themed program? Thanks!
Amanda_4537 September 23, 2011
or is Argentina: Regional Integration, Development, and Social Change a better option?
Amanda_4537 September 23, 2011
