Life changing! Past Review
By Tanya G (Economics., Texas A&M University - College Station) - abroad from 06/09/2014 to 06/28/2014 with
Study Abroad Programs in Argentina
I have gained friendships, confidence, improved my grammar, improved my conversational skills, and most importantly I have realized that I am capable of much more than I thought. Studying abroad has opened my mind to all the possibilities and opportunities out there for me, and I'm already planning my next study abroad! Three weeks just isn't enough time to completely immerse yourself in the country that you are visiting. I fell in love with Buenos Aires, its culture, its people, and I wish I would've planned a much longer study abroad. Make sure that you enjoy every single second, mingle with the locals, go to local social events, don't just hang out with other people from your country because you will forget to speak the language you are learning! Most importantly appreciate this truly amazing opportunity because the people that you meet and the memories you create will last a lifetime.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My conversational skills greatly improved, and my grammar also improved. I did however wanted more focus on the conversational part but either way I left knowing more than I did before. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sol education abroad did a great job with the excursions, but the academy could've been a little more helpful with preparing for the final exam. Our directors were helpful, caring, and honestly the sweetest people I have ever met! They both always made sure we felt safe and comfortable, they tried their best to give us the full experience of what Buenos Aires has to offer in the little time that we had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host mom! She was very accommodating with everything, and I even had my own room. There were other girls living in the same house, which benefited me because they gave me advice from their own experiences. I couldn't ask for a better living arrangement. |
| * Food: |
The food was amazing! From empanadas to pizza, everything was delicious and dinner at home was good as well. I'm very happy that I got to eat homemade food but also had the chance to eat at restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was always in a group with other students which made me feel like I wasn't getting the full experience of a local, but in did have the opportunities to go to events where locals went and made awesome friendships with Porteños. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Our directors made us well aware of the possible dangers of the city, but I always felt safe and fortunately didn't have any bad experiences. |
| 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) |
I was able to live very comfortably on a budget of about $100 a week. It really just depended where you chose to eat, if you went out, and the amount spent of souvenirs. |
| 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? | Exchange some money in your home country, but also be able to exchange money abroad. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? |
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 knew that three weeks isn't enough time! If you are studying abroad, which you should, definitely plan to stay at least 2-4 months. |
