Argentina: Breaking Boundaries through Chaos Past Review
By Katherine S (Political Science/ Spanish, Austin College) for
SSA Education Abroad: Córdoba - Semester, Year or Summer in Argentina
I learned to trust myself. I gained confidence. My Spanish improved worlds. I also learned that while I loved my experience and would do it all over again if I could, I don't have the same thirst to live abroad forever that I used to have. I learned that I love to travel and that I want to travel abroad or live somewhere for a brief amount of time, but the United States is my home and I will always want to return.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad Nacional de Córdoba |
| 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. |
The class content was fairly easy, though relatively all new stuff (Argentine Culture/History/Literature) but the language barrier made it challenging |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my family individually but they were having marital problems so it made for some awkward dinners. At first my home was filled with international students (9 of us!) so it felt like a hostel or a business rather than a loving family. That was just for the summer program and by the end I did feel like part of the family, i just wish it would have come sooner. |
| * Food: |
The Empanadas are AMAZING!! Other than that the food is relatively bland, lots of meat and as a former vegetarian, it wasn't my ideal situation. I would have loved more vegetables in my diet! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I took a trip to Patagonia with a few friends and saw whales, penguins, flamingo and all kinds of beautiful scenes. We hitch hiked in Puerto Madryn and met the most lovely family! They took us out for drinks and told us all about their small town life. One of our speaking partners had us over for homemade empanadas a few times and it was an experience I will never forget. There is one empanada shop down town right by the main plaza where the guests write on napkins and tape the notes to the wall. We ate there a few times a week and on my last day in Córdoba we finally wrote out our notes and stuck them to the wall. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Córdoba seemed very safe to me. There were pick pocketers and the occasional armed robberies but those who were robbed all said they put themselves in dangerous situations. I personally never felt threatened but I was very safe, always keeping my purse right next to me, not walking alone at night, etc. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It cost 2 pesos (or 50cents) to ride the bus each way. Generally I would take the bus to and from school and sometimes back downtown for the night. I probably spent between 7 and 10 dollars a week on the bus, but I lived further outside of the city. I had friends who lived close enough to walk and never took a bus. A taxi from down town to my house cost about 20 pesos or 5 dollars. That was by far the safest choice after midnight because the buses only run about once every hour and some not at all. Luckily I lived near friends so we would usually split taxis home. On a given weekend, going out to clubs/bars, out to eat, taxi ride home, etc., I usually spent around $20, but I was fairly conservative with my money. There were others who spent much more. During the week I tried not to eat out much because I had all my meals at home. I would go out for empanadas but those were between 50 cents and a dollar each, so it was a bank breaker. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I wish I had saved more money. Argentina is HUGE and there is so much to see! My trip to Patagonia was very expensive because it is so spread out so I didn't have much money left over for other trips. Air travel is about what it costs in the U.S., though buses are a bit cheaper. Hostels are pretty in expensive. I didn't realize that many South American countries make Americans pay a fee (about $120) to get in. I wanted to go to Bolivia, but getting there + the entrance fee was too much. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My fellow students and I made a conservative effort to speak only in Spanish with each other. Other than amongst each other every now and again everything from class to home life to city life was in all in Spanish. Hardly anyone spoke English in Córdoba. I loved that immersion |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you like order and organization, try immersing yourself fully in the life of the Argentinean people. The life is chaotic and cluttered, but the insight you will gain into your own lifestyle, what you truly like and dislike, will become more apparent when you separate yourself from what you know. Distance yourself as much as you can from your home university and friends. They will be there when you get back. Disable your facebook if you are feeling homesick and left out of your "old" life. Embrace your "new" life. When you are feeling overwhelmed, keep your head up, dive in even further and remind yourself, as the director of my program constantly reminded me, "este no es para siempre" (this isn't going to be forever). If your abroad experience is always happy, perfect and just as you imagined you are doing something wrong. I learned the most about myself and my world in the moments where I felt (or in some cases actually was) very lost. I learned how to dig myself out of a rut, how to navigate my own path, when to ask for help, and most importantly, that I already knew how to do all of those things. The confidence I gained is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. |
