A time of great growth and fun February 20, 2023
By Emma S (Biochemistry and Hispanic Studies, DePauw University) - abroad from 08/30/2022 to 12/12/2022 with
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina - Public Health in Urban Environments
I learned a lot about living in a big city, as well as improved my Spanish significantly. I believe that the program was 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. |
The courses were very useful to understanding Argentina's Health System. There were a lot of hands on activities and fieldwork that I truly enjoyed. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administrators were great. They were incredibly sweet and helpful. Sometimes scheduling changes occurred last minute, but it was due to the amount of traveling and programming we were doing. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in donwtown Buenos Aires, very close to the university I was taking my classes in. I had a wonderful host mom and lived very close to various bus stops and subte stations. |
| * Food: |
The program provided a stipend for lunch everyday and we had dinner and breakfast with the host families. I never felt as though I needed to spend excess money on food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My class schedule was incredibly busy and I spent most of my free time with other students on the program. Although I was close with my host mom and explored many cultural parts of the city, I did not find any friends within the country. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not experience any healthcare issues. |
| * Safety: |
I felt as though Buenos Aires was very safe. We were given contact information of the program director upon arrival, and the only safety-related incidents were pick-pocketing or petty crimes. |
| 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) |
I never felt as though I needed to spend excess money on food. I spent most of my money on personal trips or nicer restaurants. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | In Argentina, use Western Union to get the blue dollar exchange rate. |
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 |
The classes were all in spanish and the host families only spoke spanish. It was a full immersion program |
| 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? | A 300 level college course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Don't be nervous about speaking with your host family or asking language questions. They are there to help you learn and incredibly sweet and helpful |
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? | 0 |
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 knew more Argentine spanish. The dialect and accent is very tricky in the beginning |
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! |
