Caipis on the Loaf Past Review
By Jacob C (Sport Management, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor) - abroad from 01/31/2015 to 06/19/2015 with
Study Abroad Programs in Argentina
Hundred percent worthwhile. Saw a lot and learned a lot, already want to travel back to South America and travel to the places I wasn't able to go to.
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. |
School was extremely easy. I took classes three days per week and there was minimal rigor and intensity. I was taking classes pass/fail for credit and only needed a 4/10 grade to receive credit. Nonetheless, it gave me the opportunity to travel and enjoy the study abroad experience which was my main objective in traveling to Argentina. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Raul, our program director, was always on top of things. We had great activities planned every week or every other week, and he did a solid job at informing students and providing support whenever we needed anything. It felt very personal having an on-site director so helpful and readily available. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a single host-mom that was quite old, but delightful. She was a good cook and was very understanding of a 21-year old lifestyle in a foreign country; she had no problem with me going out late and returning in the early hours of the morning, my housemate and I each received our own rooms, and there were never any conflicts or issues. I would have given this a 5/5 if I was more centrally located (I lived in Belgrano). |
| * Food: |
The food was good, not great. My host mom put a lot of effort into cooking and I generally enjoyed her meals. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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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) |
It is definitely feasible to live off about $100/week but I ate meals out a fair amount and also went out at night to bars/clubs more frequently than I should have. I also traveled a lot which drove up my cost of living. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $225 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat as many meals at home as possible (however there's so many good restaurants to try so it's hard to resist sometimes!) Bring more than enough U.S. cash so you can always exchange at the blue rate, never settle for ATM or Xoom if possible. Utilize the travel advisor at the University of Belgrano (I forget his name). He can help arrange flights/transportation, and that way you can pay him directly in pesos so you don't have to pay at a bad rate on your credit or debit card. |
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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | AP 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? | Make spanish-speaking friends and hang out with them. I was surrounded by english-speaking friends at the University of Belgrano, and outside of school I generally hung out/partied with english speakers. Be outgoing and surround yourself with porteño friends if you want to improve your language. |
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? | That there is no beach in Buenos Aires. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: | |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Maria Eugenia DeStefanis |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Maria Eugenia was the best teacher at University of Belgrano. She was better at engaging students than my other teachers, but class was still very light hearted and she was understanding about absences due to travel. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
