Studying Abroad in Argentina Seriously was the Best Experience of My Life Past Review

By (Communication and Media Studies., University of the Pacific) for

Universidad Blas Pascal: Cordoba - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I've just learned so much about myself, how i learn, what i like, who i am, what kind of things i'm interested in, or want to do in life.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It honestly felt more like a high school to me than my host school in the U.S. Both educational systems are "American educational systems" by the way...I studied abroad in South AMERICA.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were very supportive. Always checked up on everyone. Good size if you want a small school.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The eating schedule was very different from that of the United States. Very flexible with dietary restrictions and/or requests. Dine with your family as much as you can. Not only is is good food, it's great exposure to the culture and you'll learn more about the country you're in and the language and everything.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The people here were very accepting and welcoming and always wanted to share stories an dget to know you.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Most people i talked to before the trip made the city out to be a lot safer than it was. You just really need to be careful everywhere you go because you are often targeted as a foriegner.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Bring more than you think you're going to spend. Try not to limit yourself because you don't want to look back on the trip knowing you could have done something or you wanted to do something but didn't becasue of money or anything for that matter.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Second semester spanish
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I was able to speak with anyone and everyone throughout my whole stay. It was just a matter of who i chose to speak with. I persoanlly felt quite comfortable speaking with most people. The family was a great tool for this. Altough mine in particular wasn't around all the time. I did need the language to get around every day and that's part of what helped me learn it. Most people spoke Spanish but just like every program there are those students from the U.S. who are stubborn and are going to speak English every chance they get. You need to avoid those students if you really want to immerse yourself and learn the language. The trip is really what you make of it.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people i met.
  • The amount of culture i took away and learned from being in the country.
  • The experiences i had with those people.
* What could be improved?
  • Communication on both ends.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You need to want to learn the language if you come UBP. It's also a very small school and you shouldn't be afraid of interaction.