Vida tranquila con gente amable Past Review
By A student (Hispanic Studies, Comparative Literature, Brandeis University) - abroad from 07/23/2013 to 12/08/2013 with
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo: Mendoza - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a lot of personal experience, a lot more independence and confidence in my ability to be independent, and I feel that I have many more opportunities opened for my future now. Without question, it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Certainly not as rigorous as Brandeis, but sitting in one class taught in a foreign language for three hours straight took some effort. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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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? |
Luckily, I personally never got sick enough to need medical attention while abroad, but I had a few friends who needed to go to the university hospital and take advantage of their health plan (DAMSU). Their experiences were pretty much the same across the board: had to wait for hours in line, got sent to a couple different places before they were actually properly helped, but eventually everything got taken care of -- most every process in Mendoza is complicated and takes a great amount of time, so patience is key. |
| * Safety: |
There are definitely some dangerous areas in and around the city, but using common sense should help to avoid potentially dangerous situations: don't walk around alone after dark very often, keep an eye on personal belongings and keep them close to you, when in doubt call a cab. |
| 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) |
Three meals a day seven days a week are provided by the host families, with the exception of Sunday dinner. However, most families also provide Sunday dinners anyway. The only real cost I encountered was for going out with friends (restaurants, bars, etc.) and travelling. |
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 many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | I cannot stress this enough: integrate into the culture by meeting local people and international students. While it may feel more comfortable to stay with other IFSA students from the US, the only way you will truly improve your Spanish and the best way to have the most fulfilling experience is to force yourself to communicate with others and to speak the language. |
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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| 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? | To purchase a cell phone, SIM card, and the student visa it costs about $120 (that's USD) at the current official exchange rate. IFSA did not communicate this to us before leaving for Argentina, so it was a bit of a surprise. |
