Describe your typical morning.
Cara: I lived in independent housing, outside of the IES program, so my mornings may have been slightly different than a lot of my peers who lived with host families. Depending on my class schedule, most mornings I woke up and took the bus straight to the IES center for my 9 AM class. Other mornings, I would meet friends for coffee at one of the MANY coffee shops.
Drinking a cup of coffee is much more of a social event than in the US and lasts generally anywhere from 1 – 2 hours, depending on who you are with. Waiters do not “bother” you and to some they seem inattentive, but I really enjoyed that they left us alone to chat and if we needed something we would waive them over.
What about your afternoons?
Cara: Most afternoons were spent at IES in class, as I had my schedule set up so that I had the bulk of my classes around lunch time, ending at 3 PM. All of the classes are on the same floor at the center and do not require any walking time. In between classes I would check emails, talk with staff, or visit with friends. On days that I did not have class in the afternoon, I would try to sight see as much as possible.
And evenings?
Cara: Most evenings were spent doing homework, reading for class, or having dinner with friends. Argentines typically eat dinner very late (8 or 9 PM start). So, during a normal dinner time (5-6 PM), I would catch up on homework or relax and then around 7:30 PM I would get ready to go to dinner, which could last until 9:30 or 10 PM. There are many restaurants and unique places to try in Buenos Aires, so we would try to do something different each time.
What was the highlight of your trip?
Cara: The highlight of my trip was traveling to Iguazu falls on the border of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. We travelled by plane and spent only a weekend there, but in two days we were able to see both the Argentine side and the Brazilian side of the waterfalls. It was a beautiful trip, and nice to see another facet of the Argentine culture.
I think traveling in general was the highlight of my trip to Argentina. Aside from studying in the local university and experiencing day-to-day life in the city, I really enjoyed the ability to travel to different places in the region, including Mar de Plata, Tandil, and Uruguay. I strongly urge all students to save up and travel as much as time allows while in South America!
Morning: A typical morning depended on the day of the week. Tuesdays and Thursdays I had morning classes so I woke up around 8am. I lived in independent housing so I typically made my own breakfast and headed out to catch the bus, which was about one block from my apartment. The bus ride took about 10-15 minutes, which allowed me enough time to stop at the coffee shop nearby IES for a coffee and the occasional croissant. On these days I had three back to back classes with an hour for lunch in between. On Mondays and Wednesdays I had only one or two afternoon classes so the mornings consisted of sleeping in, running errands (laundry, grocery shopping etc…) or checking out some sites nearby.
Afternoon: Again, afternoons depended on my class schedule but for the most part I was in class in the afternoon. Most days I was out around 3pm but on Thursdays for example I attended the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) which was an evening class so I went from my afternoon classes directly to UBA. Weekend afternoons were always spent meeting up with friends at local coffeehouses, taking walks, sightseeing, or traveling.
Evening: Because I lived independently with my boyfriend, we often hosted “dinners” in which we would cook fun meals and invite friends over to eat. We also made sure to check out the endless amount of amazing restaurants on every corner. Evenings were also spent experiencing the nightlife, seeing movies, etc…
Highlights: An academic highlight for me, was experiencing a foreign university. While most of my classes were within the IES facility, I attended UBA for one of my courses. This was a real eye-opening experience into how other institutions are run, what the work load is like, and the overall differences between a foreign university and a university in the states.
Another highlight of my trip was a weekend trip I took to Iguaçu Falls. I went to both the Argentine and Brazilian side and spent three days enjoying the natural wonder. It was by far one of the best experiences and definitely one that is unforgettable.