Studying Abroad in Argentina: SO FUN! Past Review
By Nicole H (Latin American Studies., Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Buenos Aires - Liberal Arts
Yes my study abroad experience was so worthwhile! I learned so much about the Argentine culture and I also learned so much about myself and really changed and grew as a person.I would say I try to have a much more balanced life now, and really make an effort to do that. I established some great relationships that I still maintain and met many great people, both Americans and Argentines. Studying in Argentina definitely changed my future plans and I want to move back and work there after graduation.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Universidad de Buenos Aires |
| 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. |
The workload was not much different from Wellesley in terms of reading assignments, papers, presentations, and exams. The main difference I would say is that the majority of professors at UBA are not as motivated and therefore do not always clearly explain the material, which makes your workload harder. The grading system is different, and I would say that it is common opinion that it is harder to get better grades there, or that professors grade harder than in the US. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My program provided lots of on site support. We were in constant contact with our coordinators in regards to not only academic issues but also homestay, medical, or personal issues we were having. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose to live with one young local student, in the hopes of using her as a resource to make friends with other young local people. In the end, she did not really invite me into her group of friends, but I ended up making friends of my own. It was nice because I had a lot of alone time, but it was also hard especially in the beginning because she was just so busy and I'd be home alone a lot. |
| * Food: |
I really enjoyed Argentine food. It's not extremely different from American food- they eat a lot of pizza, pasta, and basic foods. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My program arranged two trips of travel within Argentina, and on one of them we had anthropologists come with us and we learned a lot. Buenos Aires has so much culture and art and so many great things to do. Also, traveling to the many different provinces in Argentina they all have different cultures too. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Healthcare was easily accessible but I luckily didn't have any health problems abroad. Safety was probably a bigger issue. Several students on my program were mugged/robbed and some of my local friends were robbed as well while I was there. You just need to always be aware of your surroundings and never walk alone at night. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | PLAN AHEAD!!! and keep a budget. I did not do either of these and I think that's probably why I spent more money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Seminar 300 level Spanish |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We signed a contract to only speak Spanish in the buildings of study, and most students adhered to this. I could practice language at my home stay, with the local friends I made, and in class. I would say I honestly used Spanish about 90% of my everyday interactions, but this was a conscious choice and effort, and I also had a lot of local friends. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think all students would benefit from this program! Academically speaking, most of the American friends I made through my program had majors such as Economics, International Relations, Political Science, or Latin American Studies, but there are classes for everyone. Also, the program accommodates many levels of Spanish. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introducion a Violencia Familiar |
| Course Department: | UBA Sociales, Trabajo Social |
| Instructor: | Gabriela Hubez, Linda Dwek, |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was challenging, but probably the most enjoyable and interesting course I took. The team of teachers were all very knowledgeable and well prepared. I had more opportunity to participate in this class than my other UBA classes because a lot of the class was discussion based or had group work. We also got to listen to 2 panels on social workers or government workers that deal with issues of domestic violence in Argentina, which was a great opportunity |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No. |
