Relearning what you thought you already knew Past Review
By A student (Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies., Brandeis University) - abroad from 02/20/2013 to 07/07/2013 with
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo: Mendoza - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained more sympathy for the immigrant experience. I learned to better deal with situations where things were out of my control. I learned more conversational Spanish and I learned how to make friends in another culture. I learned how to try new things but to still be true to myself. I learned how to be away from home for a semester! It was very worthwhile and I would highly recommend the experience!
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. |
Academics in Argentina are not very challenging and the disorganized nature of the education systems makes it difficult to work ahead. However the program did an adequate job of explaining the system to us and telling us what we needed to do to navigate it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Mendoza IFSA staff were wonderful! Friendly and helpful they know how to work with the United States culture and made time to get to know us. I wish we could have had even more of a chance to spend time with them |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was wonderful and provided me with everything I needed, and included me in family events. However, in general living with a host family is challenging and the language and cultural barrier made it harder to get to know them. I also wish I had received more emotional support from them, but overall I'm very satisfied with my host family experience |
| * Food: |
My host family always provided me with plenty of food, but sometimes it would be heaving on meat and carbs and would be lacking in fruits and vegetables. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
At first I felt very much an outsider but over time I made argentine friends and was introduced to more of the local life and culture. I never felt completely a part of life in Mendoza but I feel that was due to the limited amount of time in which I was there |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Compared to other Latin American cities, Mendoza is very safe. However, theft is a concern, several of my friends on the program were robbed when they were alone late at night. Simple measures such as taking cabs and traveling with friends solves this problem, but it is always important to be aware. |
| 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) |
Most food was provided for by living with my host family, my expenses were when I went out to eat and any costs related to traveling or other activities I wanted to participate in. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Living in Argentina becomes even more affordable if you can get the unofficial dollar/peso exchange rate, which when I was abroad was 7-1 instead of 5-1. |
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 |
They asked us to only speak in Spanish while abroad |
| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 9th semester |
| 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? | Making Argentine friends or joining activities in Spanish is the best way! And it's ok to just listen sometimes, you're still learning! |
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? | I wish I knew not to worry so much about always "doing the right thing" to make the most of my abroad experience. Yes it's important to be proactive in how you spend your time abroad, but you're also in it for the long haul, in the scheme of things staying in one day instead of going out won't drastically affect your overall experience. Also, there will be times when you're not happy and that's ok, it doesn't mean you're not making the most of your experience, all the emotions of living in a new culture are part of the journey of studying abroad. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
