Abroad in Argentina, an in-depth cultural experience. Past Review
By Nicole K (Political Science and Government., Wellesley College) for
IFSA: Buenos Aires - Argentine Universities Program
Yes, I learned a lot about myself, had a great time, and learned a lot. By the end I was a little sick of being abroad, and this had never happened to me before, so that was interesting. My cultural awareness was heightened, and the program fit with my interests, so that did not change.
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 workload was less than at Wellesley, but it was still challenging as everything was in Spanish. The teaching methods of my direct-enroll classes mainly consisted of lecture. We would be assigned a group or individual assignment every few weeks, the final exams were oral. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff are very helpful and knowledgable about Buenos Aires. They are very open and you can talk to any of them about anything. Problems with efficiency were the fault of the local universities more than anything. The higher education was lower than Wellesley but probably equivalent to other universities in the United States. The program size was too large in my opinion - over 100 people - but I elected to do a concentration, so I got to know a group of 10 people very well. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Did not need to buy anything to settle in -- besides some tupperwares. We were provided breakfast and dinner, and lunch was our responsibility. Argentina is definitely less safe than the United States, but having traveled to other developing nations, I didn't think it was bad. My living situation was in a great neighborhood, close to restaurants, shopping and nightlife, though this was not the case for everyone. I was treated extremely well by my host mother. |
| * Food: |
The food was good, but not always healthy. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Going to strikes and political demonstrations was very interesting. The program took me on two field trips- one to Uruguay for thanksgiving with the whole program, which was very fun- and to a film festival - also a great experience. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Not overwhelmingly safe, but much safer than other developing nations. I had no experiences with healthcare. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approximately 20-50 dollars depending if I bought food or went out. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | None. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Pensamiento Contemporaneo - actually part of a more advanced degree. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Try to interact with the foreign students. It is hard to speak a foreign language all of the time, but put in the extra effort when out with friends or in public. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Definitely pick this program if you are very independent. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Pensamiento Contemporaneo |
| Course Department: | A part of the film studies concentration, taught at Universidad del Cine |
| Instructor: | Christian Ferrer |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | Excellent philosophy course. Interesting readings- a mix of books and papers. The professor is well known and very interesting to listen to. My favorite class while abroad on this program. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No. The only issue was that my transcript arrived late. |
