Cultural and Spanish immersion in the big city Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/22/2019 to 12/17/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Buenos Aires
My Spanish improved an incredible amount, I gained more self confidence, and I learned all about a new country, of which I previously had no knowledge. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administrators were extremely helpful, but also gave us a ton of independence. And they really made an effort to improve our Spanish! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I LOVED my host mom. I really lucked out - she was so wonderful and kind and we were very compatible. She is like a sister to me now. And I really liked the location of her apartment - Colegiales. |
| * Food: |
Host mom was a great cook and was vegetarian, like me. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Very integrated, but only because I really made an effort. Integration was not a given, but I joined lots of organizations and made an effort to make Argentine friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe. Was robbed once, but in general I did not feel at risk. Program instructors also warned that there would be a ton of catcalling, which I did not find. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved Buenos Aires and my host mom, and met so many wonderful and friendly people. I also loved traveling around Argentina ad Uruguay, made affordable by all the low prices. |
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) |
Argentina was very cheap when I was there because of the financial crisis. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When I was there, going out to lunch was cheaper than buying groceries and making lunch. |
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? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300-level |
| 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? | Join a student organization - I joined a chorus and had to speak in Spanish with members. Plus, we traveled to Mendoza one weekend, during which I spoke only in Spanish. Also, do an internship! And speak to your host family and make dinner with them and eat with them as much as possible. |
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? | Take Spanish risks in conversations - people won't judge you, but instead will be excited to speak to you and eager to help. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Relaciones Internacionales Contemporáneas |
| Course Department: | Relaciones internacionales |
| Instructor: | Jorge Battaglino |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | It was challenging, but I learned a lot and a lot about how Argentines view contemporary international relations issues. I participated a decent amount, and felt my Spanish improve throughout. I really liked the teacher, and felt fairly evaluated by the exam. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Política y Sociedad en America Latina |
| Course Department: | Ciencia política |
| Instructor: | Carlos Freytes |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | This course was EXTREMELY challenging and involved a ton of reading and memorization. The teacher was great, but the TA was not. I participated because I had to (it was a part of my grade), and I had to study a ton for the midterm and final exam. I will say, though, I learned a lot about the history of Latin America, which I did not know before. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Clase de Escritura |
| Course Department: | Middlebury program |
| Instructor: | Liria Evangelista |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | The course felt a little disorganized, though I did like having the opportunity to practice my writing and to ask a professor from the program questions about Argentina and Spanish. The teacher was very knowledgable and clearly wanted to share her knowledge with us. I participated a good amount, and was assessed with occasional writing assignments (for which instructions were a bit too vague). |
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