Priceless but not easy. Past Review
By Mina F (Political Science, Rice University) for
Universidad de San Andres: Buenos Aires - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes, it was completely worthwhile. It was very difficult at times, but that only made it more worth it in the end. I wouldn't take the decision to go abroad back for anything, but to expect that everything will go smoothly and will be "the best time you've ever had" would be erroneous. The best way to prepare yourself is just to be open minded and always remember what you wanted out of your abroad experience and never stop trying to achieve that, whether it be language acquisition, self-discovery or academic study. It changed my future plans in that it allowed me to get to know myself better, and feel comfortable with listening to the voices inside my head that tell me what I do and don't love to do. This is an invaluable skill that only comes from being put in uncomfortable, awkward and unfamiliar situations.
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. |
While the system was very different, I almost feel that I learned more because it was less focused on memorization and small details and more focused on overall comprehension and readings. I felt that it played to my strengths and I learned more in my area of focus abroad than I have learned here at Rice. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The study abroad team at San Andres was phenomenal. I felt that they were very helpful and receptive to foreign students, and I always felt that I had someone to turn to if I had any problems whatsoever. In general the faculty at San Andres was very helpful and understanding towards the foreign students and it was a very comfortable place to be. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The Argentine diet didn't particularly appeal to me as it is a lot of meat and dairy products, but overall I found it to be satisfactory. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There are probably too many to mention. I went on a trip with my swim team to Mendoza where we competed with other teams, went out to dinner and went to clubs. I did a lot of traveling, and exploring around the city of Buenos Aires. Most of this I arranged myself but the office of study abroad programs was always willing to help and suggest tour groups if you were interested. |
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably spent approximately $60 a week on buying food, going out to eat, going to clubs with friends and other expenses. This isn't including what I was already paying for rent and most of my meals with my host family. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The cheapest way to access money would probably be to have it wired to you and pick it up in cash. This can get sticky because you don't want to be walking around with lots of money, but if you have a safe way to get to and from the bank, this would be the cheapest way because the ATM charges you money every time you withdraw. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 level courses |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Yes, I used it every day with friends, teachers, my host family and almost anybody I interacted with. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This is a great program for students who truly want to be immersed in the language and the collegiate atmosphere in a foreign country. It can be easy to make friends within the international students but it is also incredibly easy to make friends with Argentinians at the University. I would recommend taking advantage of that unique possibility and joining sports teams, clubs and classes that will push you to do this. I would recommend either living with other international students or the best option would be to find housing with Argentine students who are also living on their own in Buenos Aires. I would advise this over living with a host family because I believe it gives the best opportunities to both explore and to learn the language. |
