Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Hermosa Past Review

By (Media Studies, University of California - Berkeley) - abroad from 01/03/2014 to 05/02/2014 with

Study Abroad Programs in Argentina

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The beauty of nature and inner peace, the spanish language, Argentine culture, being independent and making smart choices, traveling solo. It was incredibly worthwhile and I HIGHLY recommend it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I began this intensive spanish program knowing virtually no spanish and am now fully conversational. I learned a ton.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Raul de la Mano, our program director, was better than I could've ever expected. He always made sure we were all happy, safe, confident, and immersing ourselves into the language and culture as much as possible. He made my experience that much more enriched.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved my host mother but did not love the food and did not get along with my roomate which was especially unfortunate given that we shared a room when other rooms in the house were vacant.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

More safe than I had expected and been told but always be conscious of your surroundings and do not bring your IPhone or valuables out at night with you. Never bring more than a few hundred pesos out with you either and always use a money belt when picking up or transferring money. Hold your backpack or purse when you are out of the house or the classroom.

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? around $75 a week but it varied
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Bring US dollars and exchange them through Blue Dollar.

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
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? Intermediate II
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? Live with a host family and speak spanish with your friends, even when you don't feel like it and would rather communicate in English. Make friends with locals who do not speak English. Go to Mate Club and Mundo Lingo weekly.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Engaged and available program director
  • Lots of programming
  • Family
* What could be improved?
  • Less structure
  • Encourage students in the program to branch out to meet students in other programs (be less clicky with one another)
  • Change up the activities so that students do not have to go to the same thing more than once or twice.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much I enjoy spanish. I wish I made an effort to learn it before my experience abroad because then I could've been fluent at this point.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.