Program Reviews

The program I attended in Buenos Aires, Argentina was a dream come true! I had always wanted to travel to South America and being able to receive credits needed for my degree while visiting a bucket list destination could not have been more perfect! Having homestays made the program even more memorable. My host mother was absolutely wonderful and I still talk to her to this day! Over the course of the program I improved my Spanish, grew in my understanding and appreciation of Argentine culture, and made friends for life. I truly could not recommend a program through Arcos enough.

The program was great and offers a good base for exploring the country. However, you must challenge yourself to interact with locals and form connections there. This will be a great trip if you explore on your own in addition to what the program offers. Overall, it was fun and rewarding trip. I had an incredible host family, especially host sister who welcomed me with open arms. I was so lucky that she showed me many parts of Costa Rica that I would have never seen without a close connection to her. Costa Rica felt incredibly safe and was a great place to learn Spanish.

I absolutely loved my study abroad program with Arcos! I went to Granada, Spain on an 18-day program and took classes at the University of Granada. The classes take up about 5 hours of your day, so it’s a lot, but my teachers gave very minimal homework so it evened out. One thing I loved about Granada is that there are so many other students and universities there. It feels almost like a college town - I saw other students going to class every morning, staff at the coffee shops and other stores knew we were trying to learn Spanish and they’d patiently humor us and help us out. The Arcos staff was super communicative, helpful and flexible. I had a lot of problems with my flight and came a day and a half late and they helped get everything smoothly back on track. My host mom was great and very talkative, which helped me get more comfortable speaking in Spanish! Overall a fabulous experience. Also, be prepared to never sleep in. I had to be up and at a meeting location or school by 8:30 every single morning, even weekends.

I loved my study abroad experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina during summer 2024. It was a fun and very enriching experience. I loved learning the local slang, visiting the many local markets, seeing the beautiful architecture of the city, and of course, going out for delicious gelato every night. Everyone was so kind and helpful, and the area of the city we were in was safe to explore, even late at night. One of my favorite experiences was the tunnels of San Telmo! It was both historically and architecturally fascinating, and we even got to say hello to the creator of the museum. Overall, it was an amazing experience that I would recommend to every student who has the opportunity!

My trip to Spain was very exciting. While I mainly went because of the opportunity to walk the Camino, I did still need credits in Spanish. Academics wise, the program was not too challenging. I personally wanted help strengthening my basics and foundation of Spanish so I was placed in a class below my actual level so I could work on the basics. Most of my learning actually occurred out and around the cities I was visiting. I made it a point to not speak any English which reinforced my confidence and ability to learn. Aside from academics the program was everything I could’ve asked for. I was able to experience multiple cities. While there are planned activities from the coordinating company, I wish I would’ve known ahead of time of times I would be on my own to explore. I would’ve looked into more options for excursions or activities. One thing I would critique, which may be personal to me but can also pertain to others is the group I travelled with. I knew some of my group members prior to the trip but not very well. At the beginning of the trip we all got along, but drama arose and things became antithetical to what I expected my trip to be like. To avoid all the drama, I stayed away from the group as much as I could, which allowed me to meet local people and get an experience I would not have gotten with my group. If you’re not comfortable traveling and doing things alone then I recommend making good friends with similar expectations for the trip. Since I was comfortable traveling and doing things alone, I was able to make friends in Spain and try new things. I still talk with those friends today. Overall it was a great experience and Arcos made the entire experience wonderful!

Buenos Aires is the best place to study abroad. The city has endless things to do and trips to Uruguay are very accessible. Buenos Aires is very different from the rest of Argentina and South America so go out and explore. The Universidad de Belgrano is a great mix of international and local students and the class sizes are great. The city has European elements but it is uniquely Argentine. There are many markets for vintage clothing across the city and the music scene is great as well. In regard to crime, violent crime is unlikely in the areas international students will frequent. To be safe, don't keep valuables in back pockets or easily accessibly compartments of bags/backpacks. When at cafes and restaurants don't leave computers or bags unattended, and don't hang bags on the back of your chair. Overall, Buenos Aires an amazing place and the safety concern should not prevent you from going.

Arcos provided me with experiences that shaped me as a human being. My semester abroad is unforgettable because it really changed me for the better. The program did an amazing job at helping me stay present in the moment and enjoying everything as it was happening. I notice so many positive changes in myself now that I am back at my home university. My homestay experience was so wonderful, I really felt like a part of their family. My house mother especially treated me like her daughter and gave me so much love and support, I couldn’t have done any of it without her.

I loved my experience with Arcos Abroad and most importantly the leadership —Andrea and Jonathan.

I enjoyed so many amazing experiences that I may not have had if I had not taken this opportunity. Andrea was so passionate and enthusiastic, making the experiences much more enjoyable and rewarding. I also felt super grateful and safe with Jonathan’s driving!

Overall, learning the history of beautiful Costa Rica and interacting with both the environment and culture was amazing!

I had the best experience studying abroad in Granada, Spain. My homestay experience was absolutely wonderful. Arcos does a great job connecting you with a family, and ensuring that you feel safe and comfortable. The activities that were planned were also very educational and fun! During my time in Granada, I made so many memories, met new people, and experienced a new way of living. Granada is a great city for studying abroad because its small enough where you can know your way around, yet there's so much stuff to do.

I spent two semesters in Oaxaca, Mexico with Arcos! The staff are super friendly and attentive. They are able to tailor a program to fit your needs, whether you want to spend a week or a semester abroad they can make it happen. My host family was amazing, they were super kind! We ate three meals a day together, and it helped me improve my Spanish. I went from being able to speak at an intermediate level, to speaking Spanish fluently and now I am able to speak Spanish in my job everyday. Arcos had many fun excursions planned, and they weren’t all the same so both semesters were unique and engaging! I was able to participate in many fun workshops like print making and painting alebrijes. I enjoyed my experience with Arcos abroad and recommend them for your study abroad experience.