Studying with IFSA in Argentina Past Review
By A student (Bates College) - abroad from 07/24/2017 to 12/05/2017 with
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program, Summer
My time abroad was integral to my personal and academic growth. I think that I gained knowledge in the classroom as well as life skills as I lived in Buenos Aires.
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. |
Compared to my US institution I found the the caliber of the students to be similar to myself but the academic rigor was less intense. The Argentine Universities program via IFSA allows students to choose between four different universities (USAL, UCA, UBA, and DiTella). While it is great to have so many options, it can be overwhelming. There are not many forms of assessment, which can be stressful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I would say that Mario, Daniel, and the rest of the IFSA staff in BA are incredibly competent, kind, and helpful. Prior to departing, the US staff, like Jennifer McKibben, were also very helpful and respond to emails within the day. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I thought that I was very lucky in regards to my location of my homestay; however, I felt that my relationship with my host mother was not as close as I had hoped. |
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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? |
The IFSA staff was incredibly helpful when navigating health care issues. |
| * Safety: |
I would say one needs to stay vigilant and use common sense. |
| 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? | Get a Charles Schwab card; they reimburse you for ATM fees. |
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 |
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? | I wish I was better prepared to return to my US institution after coming back from Buenos Aires. |
