Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Lovely food and lovely city. Past Review

By (Spanish Language, Literature, Winona State University) - abroad from 02/28/2015 to 06/19/2015 with

Study Abroad Programs in Argentina

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worthwhile I wish there was more direct interaction with locals and definitely a different living situation. I did really learn a lot about culture and meet a lot of amazing people in my program. Our director was great and was super helpful!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Host mom was not very accommodating, she was pretty rude, if you didn't know Spanish you weren't going to do well. She also would blame things on the students that lived there like things breaking or being misplaced. She was not a people person and seemed to not want to have people living there at all. She also told me that I could stay an extra 3 days, and then the day of she randomly decided I couldn't which led to a lot of frustration to me. She also told us a lot of her rules came from SOL when really she made them up and she was just not a very nice person.

* Food:

Our meals were generally not very good or not a lot of food. Our breakfast was a bowl of cornflakes (very small) sometimes not even enough for all the students living there and it got really boring. Our dinner was often 2 hotdogs no buns and a potato.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

No personal issues, however I know other kids were taken care of right away.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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 would say minimum 100$ a week or so on most weeks. Very expensive and almost always had to eat out.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save a lot of money because you don't get a lot of paid for meals. going out is also very expensive and taxis and buses add up quickly.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

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? 310
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
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?
  • Going out
  • Program trips
  • other students
* What could be improved?
  • Host moms
  • accomplishing more trips
  • food situation/money spending
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That it was going to be expensive to find lunch everyday and dinner on the weekends. Also, i wish i would've known that a personal appt was an option because I definitely would have taken it.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.