Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The adventure of a life time Past Review

By (Psychology/Spanish, Wartburg College) - abroad from 02/12/2013 to 07/06/2013 with

SSA Education Abroad: Córdoba - Semester, Year or Summer in Argentina

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think through this program I learned that I don't need to be afraid to use my spanish and that I do know how to speak pretty well. I definitely gained a lot of confidence in myself

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I learned a lot in every class and had a great educational experience. All of the professors really cared about me and always told us that if we need any help we can ask them

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my house and host family they were great. The only problem was that i lived rather far away from the school so I had to take a bus or a taxi everywhere so that money added up and it was unexpected as well. I didn't realize I would have to spend so much money on transportation

* Food:

The food was great and my host family did everything to make sure I enjoyed what I was eating while at the same time preparing authentic meals

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

At the beginning it was a little harder to make friends but because of the speaking partners it was nice having at least one person right away. Also, towards the end of my stay it became easier to become integrated with the Argentine culture

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had 2 health problems while I was here. First, I had strep throat and all I had to do was call a doctor, they came to the house, found out what was wrong and gave me a prescription - all I had to pay for was the medicine. The second problem was something with my back and my hostmom took me to the clinic and I waited about 5 minutes and then the doctor saw me and told me what he thought was wrong and gave me medicine to help it. I didn't have to tell the directors of the program about my problems because I was able to take care of them easily and quickly

* Safety:

I didn't have any bad experiences with safety while I was in Argentina. I know some of my friends ran into a few problems but I would consider Argentina really safe. There were times when I walked through the city alone at night and felt perfectly safe

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)

I had to spend a lot of money on transportation that other students didnt have to because they lived right in the middle of the city

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? It is more convenient to buy things at the kioscos but the super markets are cheaper

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

We had a policy where we could only speak in english

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? a 300 grammar course
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? don't be afraid to speak it. everyone here was willing to help

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • the directors
  • the profesors
* What could be improved?
  • the information they provide before we come could be more detailed
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? that the amount of money spent on transportation adds up quickly

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 Linguist
You 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!