Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A challenging and meaningful 5 months Past Review

By (Psychology and community health, Tufts University) - abroad from 02/21/2013 to 07/22/2013 with

CIEE: Buenos Aires - Liberal Arts

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained independence and proficiency in the language. It was totally worthwhile. I am a stronger person because of my experience.

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.

The classes were great except for the Spanish classes, which were mediocre.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were amazing!! I loved Caro, Clari, Andrea, and Juan especially.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Loved my host family. My apartment was small but comfortable. If you want to be in an area close to going out, I would suggest Palermo or Recoleta. This will be far from your classes though.

* Food:

The food got boring after a while. Lots of steak, pasta, and potatoes.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It's very easy to make argentine friends. Argentines are very friendly but you must reach out to them and pursue the friendship.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got sick and they took me to a local clinic. It is much easier to call the doctor and have him come to your house for free.

* Safety:

Lots of petty crime. Be careful! Don't take the subway at night and don't walk around alone at night if you can avoid it. Be especially careful about iphones, expensive watches, and laptops.

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

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)

If you eat meals with your host family, you will not need to spend much money otherwise. Lunch is not included. I spend about 10 dollars on lunch each day but you can eat cheaper. A lot of clubs and bars charge a 5-10 cover fee so going out is expensive. Taxis are really cheap. Food is really cheap too. The subway is cheap and the buses are like less than 40 cents a ride.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50$/week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The kioskos are deathly. You will be tempted to buy stuff all of the time. Eat dinner with your family on the week days. Find out about cover charges because if you get to places early they will not make you pay.

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

They could have encouraged us more. We spoke English among each other and Spanish only with the program staff.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
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? Spanish 122
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? Talk with people all of the time and have them correct you. Go out and talk to locals.

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
  • Americans
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?
  • The program staff
  • The location
  • My host family
* What could be improved?
  • Spanish classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The host family is the most important part of the experience. Get to know your family.

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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Cuestiones Culturales
Course Department: FLACSO
Instructor: Fransisco Corigliano
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: Such a great class! Corigliani is the best professor I have ever had. He is so passionate about Argentine history and compares it to US history. The course has a minimal workload and if you pay attention you will learn a lot in class.
Credit Transfer Issues: This counts for World Civ if you push people for it.
Course Name/Rating:

Mapas de Intercultralidad
Course Department: FLACSO
Instructor: Carolina Merlo
Instruction Language: Spanish/English
Comments: The best part of the class is finding a cultural partner with whom you meet once a week to discuss your experience in Argentina and ask questions about the local culture. The class is interesting and very easy. It helped me reflect on my experience abroad.
Credit Transfer Issues: It won't count for anything at Tufts.
Course Name/Rating:

Taller Ficcion-Post Advanced I
Course Department: Spanish
Instructor: Andres Allegroni
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: The course load is very fair. The texts are challenging and we didn't review them closely in class.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

SIDA
Course Department: UBA-trabajo social
Instructor: There are many
Instruction Language: Spanish
Comments: It was not too challenging because we were never tested on the readings. There is a large paper at the end though which required a fair amount of work. The class is interesting but hard to pay attention in because it is so long.
Credit Transfer Issues: Community health cross cultural credit