Studying in Buenos Aires was a must!

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!