Immersive Argentine Experience- Asados, nature, travel, friends, and culture Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Education in Argentina is not comparable to the US. Classes are much less formal, but that comes at a price. Grades needed to pass an exam are lower and from my experience do not have as much depth as exams in the US, but this does not make them easy. Class and even exam start times are very loose and attendance is not always required or is only required for a portion of classes. Final exams are weighed more heavily than midterms. That being said, most professors that I have had or my friends have had understand that we are international students and give us other assignments to do that are more fit for us, which has been very helpful.

On-site administration of your program

IFSA Mendoza has been incredible. They are organized, give many reminders about important dates and responsibilities such as when to register for classes, and give clear instructions of how to do such things. They are friendly and offer so much to their students.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was great, i had my own bedroom and bathroom and it was clean and I felt at home. My host mom and I got along well, but we didn't get to spend much time together. My friends all loved their host homes and had great experiences. Many of us plan to stay in touch with our host families.

The food here is great. You will love the asados (kind of like a BBQ, but better), milanesas (breaded chicken aka schnitzel), and pastries.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This program is highly immersive. You study at university with other Argentine students (only one class is taken with your program mates, which is the required Spanish language and latin american culture class). You are encouraged to join clubs and make friends. I joined the Mendoza ultimate frisbee team (I had no experience playing before) for the fun (most people on the team aren't serious players, they're also there for the social aspect). You can search any activity followed by "Mendoza" into facebook and find a group of people to meet. If I had stayed for a full year I feel that I could have integrated more, as my friend who was here for a year did (she made some really strong connections with Mendozans).

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health issues.

Mendoza is relatively safe, but it is a city and anywhere you are, you should take caution. Of course, don't walk around alone at night in the dark, instead take a taxi (they are SUPER cheap). Don't go into the parks or plazas at night. I used my iPhone all semester with no problem, even using it in the street (Apple doesn't exist in Argentina, therefore iPhones are highly valuable). Just don't wave your camera or phone around. If I ever feel uncomfortable in an area I wear my backpack on my front and don't have earbuds in, but I have never experienced even a remotely dangerous or unsafe experience. ***PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS: never go to an area just north of Mendoza city (Mendoza is a province made of different areas, including Mendoza city) called Las Heras. That area is a giant slum that is extremely dangerous. Never go there, please be careful. Argentines get terrified when Las Heras is brought up (not to be confused with the street called Las Heras, located in the city)

I love IFSA Mendoza SOOOOO much, but I didn't realize how advanced it was before I applied and even landed. Everyone else on the program had a ton of Spanish exposure before the program (studied abroad in Spain, travels to El Salvador every year to translate a trip for her church, volunteers at an orphanage in Peru every year/visits Peru every year since she was a baby, is of Latin American background, is a Spanish teacher, etc). I just think that it was more advanced for me than I was when I entered, but other than that the program is wonderful.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

With IFSA Mendoza, your host family buys/makes 2/3 meals a day for you, except Saturday when you pay for everything. I was lucky and my host mom didn't care about the rule, so I only paid for food when I chose to eat out. Argentina's economy isn't doing well right now, so it's cheaper than the US. Most of my expenses came from travel (transportation+housing+food+souvenirs+activities).

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

This is an advanced and immersive program. You take classes with Argentines and you are told to speak in Spanish if you're caught speaking English by the IFSA staff (it's ok, they're nice about it!). There is a required Spanish language and Latin American culture class.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The support IFSA gives
• Opportunities to travel
• Making Argentine friends

• The IFSA Spanish class needs to be more organized
• The program should let the host families provide 3 meals a day