IES Abroad Buenos Aires

Study abroad can simply be expressed as an experience to embark on. With the opportunity to study abroad, you test yourself within the academic, interpersonal and professional setting. Being in an environment outside of my comfort-zone exposed me to the individual power that I have as a person to enhance my once in a lifetime experience by focusing on what is best and ideal for me.

Please know when studying abroad: Allow yourself to vulnerable to whichever circumstance, especially abroad, while also being on your P’s and Q’s of the country. Regardless of the mistakes made, it will make for a realistic experience, as study abroad, nor life is perfect. Be okay with being by yourself, and travelling by yourself, as it strengthens your language and people skills.

Picture this: a math nerd desperately trying to learn Spanish who hates cities and is well known for spending her time watching Netflix or re-reading books she's read three times already. Now picture that same girl being asked to dance with a complete stranger in a tango club in the heart of Buenos Aires at 1:00am. Does she say yes?

Before going to Buenos Aires, I never would've even imagined it. I went abroad for the credits and the experience, although mostly I just wanted to finally be bilingual after 18 years of trying and failing to learn. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I was absolutely right!

I spent 6 weeks in Buenos Aires, just the right amount of time to fall in love with the city without getting homesick. I had an amazing host mom who only wanted me to do two things: speak Spanish and experience the city. I couldn't let her down, so I did exactly that! I went out with the other participants, talked with people on the streets, and I even had the chance to do a small internship with CELU - a company in charge of the language exams required for studying/working in Latin America.

I could write a book about all my wonderful experiences, but suffice it to say, it all led to me becoming the type of person who was asked to dance at a milonga early on a Friday morning. My time in Buenos Aires is unforgettable, and I don't regret a thing. Why don't I regret it? Because I said yes! ;)

I never really thought that Study Abroad would have the impact on me that it did. In fact, I was terribly nervous on the flight down to Argentina. I was worried that, since no one from my university was going, I wouldn't make any friends, and that my lower level of Spanish would be too inadequate to survive. When I got to my homestay and met my roommate, however, I realized that I'd always have at least one good friend during the semester and that I could make it through just fine.

Very quickly, as time went on and as IES Abroad took our whole program on tours and group-bonding activities, I became comfortable and stress-free. The IES staff was ready and available for any questions and concerns that I had, and make every activity engaging. As far as what we did on these tours, words and pictures can only go so far as to describe the beauty and diversity of the city.

The IES program classes started, soon followed by the single partner-university class that I took at Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA). My proficiency in Spanish quickly advanced and I could feel myself becoming a porteño more and more by the day. Some classes took time. It was important to section off a piece of my time at the homestay to sit down and read the required material for my classes. This wasn't a big problem at all, however, because going out at night all happened after 11pm (at the earliest). It took me a few weeks, but developing a consistent schedule for homework and free time was very helpful in making sure I did all that I wanted to. Of course, I wasn't perfect about my routine every day, but getting it all done is all that matters.

IES organized both free trips for us and optional paid ones. I tried to do as many as possible and they were all phenomenal. I can not think back on my time abroad without remembering fondling and longingly the tango show, the futbol game, La Boca, Salta and Jujuy, and all of the other group activities we went on.

Trips with friends were also highlights of my time there. With the close friends I made, we made trips to Colonia, Uruguay; Santiago, Chile; and Puerto Madyrn in Patagonia.

As well, with PALS, the student organization at UCA that hosts events and trips for international students, I went to Iguazu Falls. The intense spiritual and jaw-dropping natural wonders I saw there changed my life and really did make me shed a tear.

I think what I miss the most now are the small things I had in my routine there. Nearly every day after classes I would go to the same cafe and talk with the men working, Abel and Ramon, who quickly became my friends. I would talk with the woman I gave my laundry to and chat with the man I bought fruit from as well. When you go abroad, to Argentina or to wherever you find yourself, I highly suggest you take time to talk with the people you see every day. There's a lot you can learn from the locals that take pride in their work both in the slang they can teach you and in the lessons on life they have. Abel also showed me some great porteño music.

All too often now, I find myself thinking back on the friends I made, the museums I visited, the empanadas I ate, the vibrant and exciting nightlife, and all the little interactions around the city that I may have taken for granted. I have to go back to Buenos Aires, and all of Argentina, and all of South America, because it truly is a part of who I am now, as cliché as that may be.

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires is one of the best things I have done for myself thus far. I am a Global Studies and Spanish Studies major, so I took classes such as Argentine Poetry & Literature, Environment & Society in Argentina, and Argentine History. The instructors at the IES institute were patient and supportive in the classroom, and the other IES staff was helpful with keeping our grades, safety, and home stays in-check. They offered activities from tango shows and soccer games to trips to the North of Argentina and volunteering in the community.

In my program, we all stayed with host families. I stayed with an older woman who lived alone, who I was fortunate enough to get to know very well and spent a lot of time with. It was nice to not only have her as a companion, but to also practice my Spanish. Although she hated cooking, she whipped up some pretty awesome things each week for the two of us!

Although Buenos Aires has some crime, like many other big cities, I did not experience any problems. IES prepped us with a week's worth of presentations about how to stay safe and what to do in an emergency. I followed all the steps on how to stay safe and didn't have any issues. However, those who didn't pay attention to rules had issues with pick-pocketing and such. Pay attention to the safety guidelines!

Also, I was fortunate enough to make a group of friends through IES who I would study with, hang out day to day with, and with whom I would travel around the country with! We made it to Mendoza, Iguazú, El Calafate (part of Patagonia), and Colonia, Uruguay together. All of which were great experiences!

I had such an amazing time in Buenos Aires, Argentina studying Spanish through IES Abroad. At first it was kind of tough to be so immersed in the Spanish language and culture so much, but IES helped make the transition easy, my host family welcomed me with open arms, and encouraged me throughout the semester. I learned so much about South America and I really improved my Spanish along the way. I also had amazing opportunities to travel all around the country and to see everything that Argentina has to offer!

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires through IES gave me the best possible experience I could have asked for. I got to do everything I was expecting to be able to do, like traveling, improving my Spanish, making international friends, exploring the nature of Argentina, and more. More importantly, however, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in ways I didn't expect. I got to deeply understand the culture and history of a country I admittedly knew very little about before going there, and I now feel intimately connected to a completely different part of the world. The community of Buenos Aires was so intertwined with all of my experiences there that I left feeling like I had truly become a knowledgeable part of it. IES gave me so many of the opportunities I took to get connected to the city, and I am so thankful that they as a program understand that studying abroad is a multifaceted experience. In classes and outside of classes, IES provided the framework I needed to have my ideal study abroad experience.

I had the absolute time of my life with IES Abroad. I miss every second of it and wish I could do it again. I became so close with the IES faculty as they treated myself and the other students like family. Buenos Aires is an incredible place that each person should experience in their life. Argentina is a true wonder to be seen. Nothing beats empanadas and steak. Most amazing country I have ever visited without doubt.

What are you looking for in a study abroad experience? I had no idea going through the process but I can tell you for sure what IES offered that I did not expect.

1. For one, the academics. IES classes were incredibly small and intimate, my Spanish class was only 6 people! In the past this would have freaked me out but our teacher made us beyond comfortable and we all knew each other so well that we all weren't afraid or embarrassed to try even if we failed! The other classes were equally engaging - I actually loved going to class everyday and the teachers were so conscious to not give us busy work because they knew we were there to learn about the culture! I came out of the program feeling like I learned so much and yet had time to enjoy as well!!

2. The people! I was expecting IES Abroad staff and professors to be like all professors, they are "there for you" but they also have their own lives. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AT ALL! IES professors AND staff would give us hugs, give us emotional support, and ultimately just root for our success. They would give us treats on American holidays they knew we might miss and teach us about their holidays! They would hug us in the morning and ask about our weekends! They would help us find a doctor or a cell phone or just give us advice about what to do in the city! This staff was the most incredible group of people they could have compiled, they 100% exceeded expectations!

3. The host families! I guess these count as people too but they deserve their own category! There were only 3 people coming into our program that were not staying with a host and by the end there was only 1! The families that IES found were long standing, had been with the program for longer than they could remember, were incredibly sweet and even more knowledgable about the city we were all so excited to explore! My family gave me love, advice, a hard time (as all good families do), and just made me feel so at home coming in!

I could not recommend this program more! I really did not know what to expect coming into study abroad - I was mostly basing my ideas off of my sister's experience - but I could not have been more impressed with the organization and care that IES committed to their students! These are people and this was a time I will never forget!!