The Spanish classes were amazing but I was alone and lonely a lot of the time. Past Review
By A student (Quest University Canada / Outbound) - abroad from 11/20/2014 to 12/20/2013 with
Study Abroad Programs in Argentina
About myself, I learned that I prefer traveling with other people, that I need a month to start making social connections with people, and that family and friends are indispensable. I learned a lot about Argentinean history and the Spanish language. It was very worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academia Buenos Aires is a wonderful place to learn Spanish. They are very organized and have a great structure and method for teaching Spanish. There are different levels with a different theme to learn vocabulary while you also learn grammar. This gave me a organized and structured way to learn vocabulary. The grammar advances logically in usefulness and difficulty. They sneak in cultural education through short written pieces, exercises, and themes in class. They also offer after class activities, such as extra classes or tours of different places in the city. The tours are wonderful and the guide knows a lot about the history and current culture of Buenos Aires. Everyone is very nice and helpful. There is not much homework, which could be good or bad. It gives students more time to explore the city, but then there is not a strong emphasis on learning/studying. However, I do think everyone still learns a lot. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think in general the administration is very good, but I came at a kind of odd time when most of the Semester students were leaving and the winter break students had not yet arrived. Also, the program director was in Texas most of the time I was there. When he did arrive, he was very nice and helpful. I would have liked more planned activities, such as a cooking class. The city tour was not with anyone from SOL and I was all alone. I really liked the Mate Club that SOL brought me to. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
At first I really did not like the living arrangement because I expected it to be with a family and to feel like a daughter and sibling with them. Instead, it was a single lady and I felt more like I was boarding because I had to hang out in my room instead of in the living room and she wouldn't let me help make dinner or clean up and she cleaned/tidied my room every day. However, she was incredibly nice and friendly and I really did like spending time with her. I would recommend that SOL make it very clear that the host family is generally just 1 person. Even better, if it is possible it would be awesome to offer the option of staying with a family. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt pretty integrated, walking or taking the subte or bus; going to ferrias and markets; buying fruit and vegetables at small stores. However, it was kind of hard to meet portenos in just 1 month and I felt like I didn't do what typical portenos do very much (go to parks, parillas, etc.). I did more touristy things, like go to museums and tango classes. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health problems so I have no idea what healthcare is like. I did not need any vaccines. I was not aware of any health issues in Buenos Aires or Argentina. |
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| 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) |
Food was more expensive than I anticipated. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150, more or less. I spend $600 for the whole time. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you buy a bunch of fruits and vegetables at a vegetable stand and eat it for lunch you can get away with 15 pesos per lunch, much much better (and healthier) than in a restaurant. Walking saves a bit of money and allows you to get to know the city better. Bring your student card to get into museums cheaper/ for free. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Mate club encouraged practicing Spanish. Technically, the host family would make you use Spanish, however my host mom spoke English very well so it was self motivation on my part to talk in Spanish with her. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 7th grade Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Talk to your host family in Spanish. Go to Mate club. Do some sort of regular activity (tango classes, etc.). Try to make friends with portenos and speak to them in Spanish. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known more about the history of Argentina. I wish I knew what the host family situation would be like. I wish I knew what my expenses would be and how much things would be. I wish I knew that my school was specifically for tourists and not a university (which turned out to be fine but I was skeptical at first). |
