Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Mediocre Program, Amazing Country and City Past Review

By (Economics., University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 07/19/2014 to 11/07/2014 with

Study Abroad Programs in Argentina

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Argentina as a country is one of the most incredible places that I have ever been. Buenos Aires is a city that is full of so much life and culture. I never had a dull moment, I was never bored, and I never ran out of new things to do. Buenos Aires will make you fall in love and never want to leave. Argentina, with all of its diverse landscapes and friendly people, will trap you. It was 100% worthwhile, but next time I will find a program that is honest with me, more helpful, and more willing to meet my needs.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The subject matter wasn't overwhelmingly difficult or strenuous. The classes were enjoyable, and I felt as though the way that the program was structured required the classes to be easier because we were all different majors and had different levels of familiarity with the subject material.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Raul was great, although sometimes unavailable and very frequently late to events.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My living arrangements were terrible. The house was small. The bathroom was molding and the toilet was detached from the piping. I was not informed that I would be sharing a bedroom with another student. The information provided to me regarding my living situation was also false. I was told that my host mom enjoyed doing yoga and frequently went to the gym, but she did not do either of those things. Futhermore, my host mom was rude and disrespectful. She had no qualms about playing favorite with the other girls. She served food that made me ill knowing it made me ill (I am lactose intolerant) but stopped making food another girl and I liked because her favorite student didn't eat pork. Teresa was unkind and inhospitable, I don't think she should have more students stay with her.

* Food:

I informed my program that I was lactose-intolerant. Not only did most of the meals contain dairy, a dairy-free milk was never provided for me. The food was also never fresh, it was always frozen and microwaved or heated in the oven. The food also was not satisfying or enough to keep me full. Breakfast was only toast, and because I cannot have dairy, the only other option, cereal, was not an option for me because there was no dairy-free milk. I frequently had to spend a lot of money on lunch and breakfast because I was not allowed to make a breakfast for myself.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program and my university did little to integrate us with local culture. Any friends I made that were from Buenos Aires, other cities in Argentina, or students from other countries and programs were entirely done by myself. While we did many fun excursions, actually integrating with local students in the university or meeting any young Argentines my age was impossible. Our host moms were elderly women with no children, so meeting anyone our age from Argentina at home was not an option.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I never felt unsafe in my host city, but it would be naive and not advisable for anyone to walk around as if something couldn't happen. There were robberies, people will try to touch you on a packed subway, and while that may not have happened to me personally, it does happen and students should be prepared for these occurrences.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Between subway and bus fare, breakfast (because breakfast was never a meal or something I could eat) and lunch, which were not included in my food costs, neither was dinner on Saturday, it was very expensive. It was also expensive taking into account how much I paid my host mom for food that I was never served.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $200-$250
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Bring U.S. Dollars in cash to Argentina. Find an apartment instead of stay with a host family. Rent in Buenos Aires is half the cost of a host family.

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

Our host mom had no interest in sitting and talking with us. Our interaction was minimal and she rarely offered to help us practice our Spanish.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Advanced 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? Take classes in Spanish. Live in an apartment with Argentines instead of a host mom. Go to Mundo Lingo and meet people from Argentina or other Spanish speaking countries. The only way to practice is to practice with people who speak Spanish. Never say no to an option of practicing, such as volunteering or joining mate club.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
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?
  • My director, Raul
  • The city, Buenos Aires
  • The excursions
* What could be improved?
  • The University of Belgrano was unsafe and unstimulating. There was a fire, and there were no alarms and we had classes afterwards with no information from administration or our professors about what happened and what was to occur afterwards. The smoke inhalation made many of us students sick. Highly unprofessional.
  • The host families are not host families. They are elderly women who treat the students in their homes as nothing more than a paycheck.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That my living situation would not be at all how it was described and that my university was not going to be with local students. I was deeply disappointed in the quality of the university. More disappointing was my room. Everything about my living situation was opposite of what I described as my lifestyle. I asked for a place that allowed me to maintain my privacy and with a person who could fulfill my dietary requirements.

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 Blazer
Craving 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.'