A rewarding semester in Latin America Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

You WILL be doing work in this program -- I'd say I spent almost as much time studying/working throughout the semester as I do at my home institution. The ISP period especially was an intense amount of work, but a very valuable experience. This being said, the course load isn't unmanageable or overly rigorous, but you'll still learn a lot. I personally thought the Development seminar was one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken.

On-site administration of your program

I neither loved nor hated the admin of the program. A lot of the students on my program, including myself, were frustrated at times throughout the semester about a lack of communication with the admin; looking back, I think, though communication could have been improved, the admin trusted us as adults to solve problems and figure things out for ourselves, which isn't exactly what I'm used to at my home institution.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I LOVED living with a host family! I was so well-matched with my host parents and continue to stay in contact with them. Definitely one of my favorite parts of the program.

It's fine, but kind of bland. There's no such thing as spicy food. Steak, pasta, and milanesa were the dishes I ate most often, and not a lot of fruits and veggies were available. I was lucky that my host parents were good cooks though!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I personally felt pretty integrated with the local culture and started thinking of Buenos Aires as a new home. I will say I didn't make many local friends since classes are all with Americans, but everyone was always really friendly.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

There are definitely places you don't want to be walking alone at night, especially if you're a woman, but I think that's true of many big cities. Unfortunately, it's pretty common to have something stolen -- my phone was stolen out of my hand from a man on a motorcycle in the middle of they day, so it's really important to stay aware of your surroundings.

I'm so glad I chose a program in Latin America with an academic focus I was interested in! Buenos Aires has become one of my favorite cities in the world, and I really do think I learned a lot, both in and outside of the classroom. There were times throughout the semester where I felt overwhelmed with work, but I ended up being mostly grateful for the pressure.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

In addition to our host parents providing breakfast and dinner for us, SIT gave us a lunch stipend and paid for our transportation to and from classes, which was extremely helpful. My own money mostly went towards going out and traveling -- it added up, but was still less than I'd spend during an average semester and I think you could definitely manage your money while abroad. Food and transportation is generally more affordable than in the U.S.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

All of our classes were in Spanish and our admin tried to communicate in Spanish with us unless we were really confused about something. We also had a specific class devoted to developing our language skills, and a lot of host families don't speak any English. We were also encouraged to speak in Spanish with each other when we were on our own.

Select all that apply

• Host Family
• Apartment
• Hotel

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Location
• Host Family
• Program Trips

• Communication with admin
• Mental health support

The Academic or Linguist