Eye opening, enriched learning and never boring! Past Review
By Nancy N (Political Science and Latin American Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/26/2013 to 06/10/2013 with
SIT Study Abroad: Argentina - Social Movements and Human Rights
It was definitely worthwhile. The kind of stories I heard, the experiences I had and the people I met made all the difference. I was really impacted by the way public policy decisions made years ago still affects people today on a very personal level. As a poli sci major, this was an important concept for me so that I could understand the root of politics: power. My love for Latin America also grew with my abroad experience, and only motivated me to keep exploring.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The overall educational experience was really good. Although the academic rigor and intensity was not the same as my regular time in college, I felt like the experiences and people we met during the trip were unique and it was a very enriching and different learning environment. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program directors were very great and I always felt very taken care of. They also taught me a lot of patience, as things didn't always work out as planned, but I'm grateful for all the planning that went into compiling a program like this. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I totally loved my host family! I thought the living arrangements were perfect and they chose really great families. I had a room of my own and my host mom was an amazing cook. |
| * Food: |
The food was great! The meat is some of the best meat you will ever taste; the empanadas and mate, a classic argentine staple were also wonderful. Other than the meat and empanadas, I found some of the food to be kind of bland, like the sandwiches de miga... but great for eating something cheap and quick every day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated. As a native Spanish speaker, I was treated so much better because I was able to interact with locals. I also had a great host sister who made an effort to include me in her social life and introduce me with friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Thankfully I never had an experience with healthcare and didn't get sick. I felt like it was easily accessible and we had a doctor on call. |
| * Safety: |
Buenos Aires has gotten a bad rep in the last couple of years because of safety concerns. I was never robbed, but I know other students in my program that were. We were told during orientation to be extra vigilant of your bags, your personal belongings and to avoid looking like a tourist. There are a couple of places that are not at all safe to walk at during night. you have to be careful with taxis, buses and the subway; never ride them by yourself at night. |
| 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 was easily able to live on a student budget. Buenos Aires is not necessarily a cheap city, and if you want to live large, you can definitely spend large. However, breakfast and dinner was always provided by my program, and we were given a stipend of $40ARG to spend daily on lunch. There are great bakeries all over the city where you can buy sandwiches de miga or fruit and spend less than $20 pesos, saving you half of your stipend each day. Since I chose to eat very cheap every day, I was able to save so much money and use them for trips. I also took the bus everywhere, instead of the subway or taxi, which helped me save even more. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $10US |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You should treat yourself to nice dinners and incredible steak once in a while, but you can easily save daily. Picking a program that gave us a stipend was great because it allowed me to control how much I spend and save. Also, when traveling, research your options - by plane, by bus, by boat, etc.. Researching your options can save you tons of money in the end; talk to locals to get their opinions. |
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 |
Our program directors encouraged us to speak spanish all the time, but being in a program with 25 other students from the US meant that English was widely spoken. I didn't feel like the language was enforced, although there isn't really much of a way they could enforce it. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| 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? | I am a native spanish speaker |
| 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? | It is really important to make an agreement within the group to speak the language. I was lucky that I had a friend who really wanted to improve her Spanish and we always spoke together, but it was unfortunate that some other students didn't want to speak spanish. Therefore, we felt like we couldn't really practice the language with others. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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 would have been more calm about whether or not I could navigate my way around the city. I was really surprised at myself when I got the hang of riding the bus, asking locals and memorizing the main streets. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
