CIEE College Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina

I am so grateful for the experience to live in BA and travel throughout the beautiful country of Argentina while improving my Spanish-speaking skills and learning more about Latin American culture firsthand. I enjoyed meeting new people from all over the world in Argentina. The TECHO volunteering opportunity was a fulfilling component of the program. The school excursion to Patagonia was an added bonus, despite the weather. I would recommend splitting your funds between cash to exchange and having the ability to withdraw cash at ATMs as exchanging money was not the easiest or most accessible. The program staff were amazing people and educated us outside of the traditional classroom setting, enhancing our learning and overall experience.

My study abroad experience certainly wasn't perfect. But you can't expect it to be. Nothing can be perfect; even your ideal once in a lifetime adventure is bound to have its ups and downs- but that's life. Some of the ups on my trip included the beautiful trip to Patagonia, the welcoming and encouraging staff, and the guided freedom the program provided through great suggestions that were all volunteer. However, some of the challenges I faced included the unstructured academic environment and the slightly inhospitable character of members in my host family. All in all though, the trip was "vale la pena" or worth the trouble!!

I am so glad that I pushed myself to study abroad. I love to travel, but I was anxious about going to a foreign country alone; however, there was no reason I should have worried.

While the flight is long, I had worked with a travel agent to ensure that I would be at Ministro Pistarini International Airport with plenty of time to join the rest of the new group. The staff were very nice throughout orientation although I did not get to know anyone particularly well during my time abroad.

I took the Human Rights class which is taught in Spanish because it got me college credit, but the other class likely would have been more interesting because they went on many excursions out into the city that were a lot of fun (but I joined them for a few of these)! I thought that taking a class taught in Spanish would be extremely difficult, but the professors spoke slowly and enunciated, so I was able to understand everything. There was a 10-15 page research paper requirement that seemed a bit extensive when we all would have preferred to enjoy our last couple nights in Buenos Aires rather than sitting at home writing. Although the length of the research paper was daunting, we got to pick the topic, so it was interesting to learn more about something for which I am passionate. I studied the Zapatistas and indigenous rights in Mexico. The material covered in the class was also interesting: it dove into an abundance of history, particularly about Argentina, that was quite enthralling.

Perhaps the best part was that the other students and I shared a love to travel and the desire to get to know the city as well as we could, so there were always activities and other things to do. After class would end at 1:00, we would all go to a new restaurant, have a delicious meal, and then go explore the city. Some of the best excursions we went on around the city were to the Japanese Gardens, Chinatown, and markets for some shopping. We also went on a couple weekend trips -- each were very fun. We planned a day-trip to Montevideo, Uruguay and a weekend trip to Iguazu. There was also an excursion with all of the CIEE students to Mendoza which I also enjoyed a great deal.

Another great part of my experience was my host family. Flor and her daughter Renata (8 years old) were super friendly and welcoming. We had dinner together every night where Flor would always ask me about my day or life back home. She was also very patient while I practiced my Spanish which was much appreciated.

I loved my location in Recoleta as it was extremely close to some of my favorite restaurants and bars where all of my friends and I could meet. Transportation by Subte or taxi was also crucial to learning more about the city, but it was very inexpensive and easy to use.

I wish I could have stayed longer than a month! And I hope to visit Buenos Aires sometime again.

I had a great experience on this program. They expect you to be pretty independent, but always assisted us with any difficulties. The beginning registration process was stressful, but they did their best to walk us through it. Overall my experience was a great one. I had a fantastic host family, who actually came to visit me in the states after I returned home. I took a very challenging course at the UBA and was able to seek out tutors. I returned with a thesis written in spanish, a network of argentine friends and a strong love of the argentine culture.