Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A great program with some minor flaws Past Review

By (Pomona College) - abroad from 07/23/2019 to 12/13/2019 with

Universidad de Buenos Aires: Buenos Aires - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Better Spanish, tango experience, a whole new perspective on economics, and skills in R. So yes.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

UBA was certainly rigorous and the classes were intense.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Maria Marta was absolutely fantastic and deserves all five stars forever. I'm giving this one less because some of my interactions with Claudio were frustrating and I felt that he wasn't as good at genuinely listening to student concerns as I would have liked.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host mom was great and we got along pretty well!

* Food:

My host mom was a good cook, she always provided me with supplies for breakfast, and I got to learn how to do some cooking too.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did have some friends from university and regularly participated in tango and boxing classes, but I didn't necessarily feel totally integrated and wasn't quite sure how to make that happen.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

When I had to use healthcare, it was easily accessible, and Maria Marta was INCREDIBLY helpful and supportive in the whole process. I felt that I received quality care. Since I already had the yellow fever vaccine, the only vaccines I needed for the program was the typhoid booster.

* Safety:

If you stay in the right areas, Buenos Aires is mostly safe. Be VERY careful around your phone (someone's phone on the program was stolen three times) and don't wear expensive jewelry/clothes/technology outside (somebody tried to steal my mom's necklace).

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

In the end, I had a good experience in Buenos Aires and learned valuable things.

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)

I kept really careful track of my finances and mostly cooked my own food, so prices were not that bad.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Seriously, cook. It's miles cheaper even if you buy cool ingredients.

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

Claudio was very concentrated about this. While I could have wished that he chose more productive ways to express it, I definitely appreciated his commitment to it.

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? 102 (at Pomona, literature)
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? If you're feeling like you need home, watching your favorite movies in Spanish is a good way to practice and entertain yourself.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • cross-enrollment
  • spending time with other students
  • host family
* What could be improved?
  • suggestions on ways for students to get involved
  • the approach to the Language Pledge
  • some of the other students had really bad host family experiences, so perhaps that
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the academic component is hard but doable

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!