Sol Abroad is the way to go Past Review
By Daniel B (International Relations, SUNY - College at New Paltz) - abroad from 02/01/2011 to 06/20/2014 with
Study Abroad Programs in Argentina
I learned Spanish really well. I also learned about Argentine culture and met fascinating people from all over the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were not too difccicult, but were very interesting. It is great that you can take classes entirely in Spanish but which are catered to International students, making them sightly less intense. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sol Abroad is really the best. The country director in Argentina, Raul, is the best form of support you can ever imagine having in a foreign country. The Sol Abroad HQ s always ready to help if you have a problem. This is probably the best part of the experience, and the main reason I chose to go with Sol Abroad rather than my own college's study abroad program in BA (despite the extra work I had to in order to transfer credits) |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Most people who go to BA stay single old ladies, this can be a mixed experience. I was lucky to be living with a single lady and her 23 year old son, which was nice. That being said, me and the host mother did have our issues, but this is just part of the experience sometimes of doing a home-stay |
| * Food: |
Great food, my host mom was a great cook. It is not as cheap as you think though! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This is a tough o to answer. The extent of integration is entirely up to you. You have to make the effort to become friends with Argentinians or at least other Latin Americans, and try not to only hang out with Americans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Never had a health issue so its hard for me to say personally. One girl on the program was sick and hardly spoke Spanish, Raul went to the medical center with her and made sure she got treated. |
| * Safety: |
BA is mostly safe, but you have to be smart and aware. Raul explains this to you when you get there. |
| 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) |
This depends on how much you go out. Since we didn't get lunch or dinner on Saturdays, you sometimes had to spend. |
| 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? | Don't go out more than 3 times a week. |
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 |
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| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish Composition and Conversation 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? | Hang out with non-English speakers, engage/practice with host family, practice with Raul, look up the company Spanglish and attend their events. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Buenos Aires is a very cosmopolitan city, which is great, but it means you are going to have put in extra effort to practice Spanish. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
