Dulce de Leche Changed my Life Past Review
By Christiana Z (Spanish, Trinity University) - abroad from 07/24/2015 to 11/21/2015 with
IES Abroad: Buenos Aires - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Yes, it was worthwhile. I learned lot of Spanish. My reading comp and writing improved drastically and I got much better at engaging in everyday conversations (even if my grammar is still horrendous), which brought me back to why I wanted to learn the language in the first place. I learned how to navigate a quirky public transportation system (sometimes buses run very late and they never announce stops), and how to deal with getting lost in an unfamiliar city (panic is not the answer), and gained an understanding of Argentine culture. Also I probably gained a few pounds because of dulce de leche and asados. I also gained independence, confidence, et cetera... all the things they tell you you'll gain. I think it helped for me that I went in with an open mind and without a lot of specific expectations. I suppose it was "life changing," but that's certainly not what it felt like every day. I learned how to "do life" in another country, essentially. Which is absolutely worthwhile. I'll end with a nice cliche: the world seems a lot bigger and a lot smaller after study abroad.
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. |
The classes are not terribly rigorous and expectations are lower that what I was used to. I felt like I got out of classes what I put into them, but it's not hard to get decent grades- which is great in a study abroad program. |
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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? |
I had a great experience in my homestay; for the most part others did too, although there were a few cases where people didn't get along with their host families. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The IES abroad center is a bit of a cultural bubble since it's all American students, and since all my classes were there I spent a good amount of time there and socialized mostly with IES students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No healthcare related experience |
| * Safety: |
Like any city, it depends where you go. I rarely felt unsafe. Just know where you are (this is tough at first with figuring out the bus system). |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | US $40-50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat at home on weeknights. |
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 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? | 3000 |
| 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? | The language partners program is great. Also live in a homestay. |
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? | It rained a lot. Bring boots and a legit coat (if you're going in northern hemisphere fall). I did not bring these things. Whoops. Big-picture stuff all fell into place, though; I would let my past self figure it out all over again. Just don't go in expecting to be wowed every day. At least for me, that's not what this program was about (maybe not what study abroad is about at all). There were boring days, and homesick days, and days where the accumulated frustration of struggling to communicate all the time made me want to disengage from the experience. But it was totally worth it. |
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! |
