A great place to study abroad, but choose the right program Past Review
By michael a (Nutrition, University of Maine - Farmington) - abroad from 07/10/2015 to 12/02/2014 with
SSA Education Abroad: Córdoba - Semester, Year or Summer in Argentina
It was worth it yes, I learned spanish and met amazing people.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program had very good teachers, but the program was kind of unorganized. We never had a set classroom so we moved a lot, and we never had interaction with the native students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
PECLA had nice workers but when it came to addressing the wants and needs of the students I believe they fell short. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My first family was amazing, but I was moved due to house repairs needing to be done. My second family was not good at all and PECLA did not work well with me at all to find something better when I asked. |
| * Food: |
My first family fed me well however my second family fed me poorly. The woman I lived with would often cook in bulk and then feed me the same meals over and over again. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I integrated myself with the local culture by wandering and meeting people in the streets. These people later on became my good friends that I will never forget. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to the hospital one time and was taken care of very well. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe, but some of my women-peers got mugged. My advice is to keep valuables concealed while walking at night |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
The program only provided Breakfast and Dinner. Which if you didn't know, breakfast isn't a huge meal in Argentina, it's only bread and coffee. Then my classes ended at 10:30 and the dining hall didn't open until 12:00. So I didn't want to wait over an hour to get a lunch from the dining hall (very poor food there anyways by the way) So I often had to by myself breakfast and lunch because I wasn't satisfied with just bread in the morning. Which led to me spending a lot more money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 300-600 pesos depending on how much I ate |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save a lot of money because you won't be able to work there. |
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? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High school spanish 2 years |
| 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? | Meet people on the streets, you learn how to speak better that way. The classes help with shaping up your grammar. |
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?
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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? | That I was going to need to pay for most of my food. |
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.' |
