My Experiences in Cordoba, Argentina! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I studied in the PECLA program, which was designed for International students, and I was not integrated into the University courses directly. For me, I thought that the classes provided were decent, and the professors provided a lot of resources for the students to use. I thought that the amount of homework was fairly light compared to what I am used to in the U.S. The classes were based primarily around discussion or lecture. Some of the professors were more engaging than others. However, I did not think that the classroom setting was very beneficial for my group of students. For example, for the first month, one of our classrooms didn't have desks for us to use. But, overall, I think that it really comes down to each student's abilities and motivation to do well in the classroom, as well as overcoming any frustrations by communicating with the professors. This was something that was an issue for some of the people in my group.

On-site administration of your program

I thought that overall, the administration did a good job of addressing the students needs. For example, when a person in my group did not get along with her host family, they quickly changed it to make it right. Again, I think that especially in situations where there are two different cultural expectations, communication is key. I know that several people in my group had issues with the administration because they felt they were not helpful enough, but I had no issues. I do think that there was a lack of professionalism in the office when it came to matters of dress.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I think that Spanish Studies Abroad did a wonderful job of placing me with my host family. I stayed with Guadalupe and her daughter Almendra, and they were very welcoming and inviting. We may have had a few small disagreements over the 5 months, but after communicating, it wasn't a problem. I truly felt like family when I stayed with them, and they accommodated to my dietary preferences without hesitation.

I loved the food! This was probably one of my favorite parts about studying abroad. :) I am a vegetarian, which may seem strange since Argentina is known for loving meat, but my host mom made great food, and there were other options when going out to eat.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I think my integration process was a bit slower than other students, since I didn't live close to the downtown area, and wasn't involved in as many activities, but I do think I had a great time. Once I opened up to more people, it was easier to do. I think the class that Alejandra taught helped me to learn about the integration process and how to deal with different cultural or social expectations. I stayed an extra 3 weeks after the program date ended because I was dreading going home!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No health care issues.

I think that the city was pretty safe; I never felt in danger while I was there. When I went out, I made sure to go out with friends or to be home at a certain time.

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

I thought that it was fairly easy to live on a budget here in Argentina. The price for things is pretty low, and if you budget well, you could easily make it on $100 a week. It all depends on what kinds of things you want to do. For me, I saved and budgeted my money to go on trips instead of going out for drinks or dinner with friends all the time.

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

The program required us to sign a contract to only use Spanish in our classes and with each other, but I don't think very many people stuck to that policy. There was encouragement to use it, but not many people took is seriously because there wasn't any punishment for not doing so. I tried my best to use Spanish as much as possible, as improving my Spanish was one of my goals while studying abroad. Making local friends was a huge help with this.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• International Students