Program Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed the one-month trip organized by Arcos Learning Abroad that included Madrid, Santiago de Compostela, Cambados, Burgos, Leon, and several smaller towns along the Camino frances pilgrimage route. Everything was well-organized and executed, and the organizers were outgoing and fun! Since I am a professor accompanying the students, I especially appreciated the warm welcome from the University of Santiago de Compostela and the host families they provided for our 18 students. I got to see the progress they made in Spanish and delight in the ways in which they opened up to cultural experiences in Spain. Fantastic trip!

Arcos was an amazing experience, they made exploring a foreign city and a different culture an amazing experience! The directors were amazing, they knew the city very well and were able to give us guided tours that were very informative. Arcos was very helpful in the program fee all of our accommodations booked and an entire itinerary and our program leader kept in constant communication with us keep us updated daily. The excursions by Arcos were amazing as well as the academic side. Learning a different language is not easy but by being immersed in the language it makes it significantly easier.

This program was my first experience outside of the United States, and I’m super grateful for that!
The itineraries were well-structured and kept everyone engaged, with still a reasonable amount of free time. Our guides were both well-versed with the areas, and the home-stays were very immersive.
I think my favorite part of the trip was the amount of sights we were able to see in such a short amount of time. Being able to see the preserved architecture in so many cities definitely made the trip that much more memorable.

Granada is one of the best cities I've ever visited and the Arcos program did an amazing job at ensuring that I experienced many things unique to Granada. I learned so much about Spanish culture and experienced people and places I never thought I'd have the chance to. I felt so safe and had the best host family ever. Everyone I encountered was so kind and my Spanish skills improved so much! There aren't many words to express how great of an experience this study abroad was, it was life-changing.

I enjoyed every second of this trip - the food, the culture, the people, and the environment was the best. The beaches in Costa Rica were super pretty. We got to visit Universidad Latina in San Jose and we seen how beautiful the campus was. The people who worked for the program who organizing our day to day schedules were very nice. Everything was organized and there was a special dinner the last day with all our host families. It was a very special moment because we got to serve them just like they were doing to us.

Overall, a wonderful experience... Great experience with the staff and the host family I stayed with. The activities were all fun and interesting, and I loved the city of Granada. In my opinion it is the perfect size, it's affordable, there are great people, and it has both the beach and mountains close. It is also filled with college students which makes a lot easier to meet other students.

Granada is also a tremendous to learn spanish. The people are patient and happy to help you learn. The accent is slightly difficult at first, but you can quickly get used to it. The combination of staying with a host family, taking spanish courses, and speaking spanish in my everyday life for 4 months was really able to take my spanish to the next level.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, as it provided me with the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of people and partake in enriching experiences. Among the highlights were the engaging survival Spanish class and the delightful cooking class, both of which added a considerable amount of fun to my journey. Overall, it was a memorable adventure filled with exciting encounters and cultural immersion. Both of these experiences were extremely fun. I would recommend this program to any student who is intreated in traveling. This is a good first country to travel to.

This program was an amazing opportunity to experience life in another country. Everyone involved was supportive, kind, and helpful throughout the process. It was a great program to learn Spanish by talking with my fellow travelers, host family, and in my classes. Don't be scared of trying, people were very supportive of every stage of language learning. I learned so much from the activities, excursions, and classes, as well as from living life with a host family and from new local friends. If you are unsure about this program, don't be! You will not regret it!

Academics:

My Experience at La Universidad de Belgrano is without a doubt the reason why I am fluent in Spanish today. The professors are experienced, kind and super easy to talk to. The curriculum is both engaging and comprehensive, as well as unique in that it has a focus on Argentine culture.

Support:

I never felt lost at La Universidad de Belgrano, or with Arcos. Our professors, university faculty and program directors were always open to speak with and give a helping hand whenever it was needed.

Fun:

Buenos Aires is unparalleled in my opinion when it comes to stuff to do. Whether you enjoy nightlife, museums, nature walks, fine dining, street food, comedy shows, ballets, plays, concerts or tango lessons - it truly does offer it all.

Housing:

During my study abroad I stayed with a host mother - Muchy, who I am still in contact with to this day! Staying with a host mother was a great way to get more history and perspective on the city and country - I am super glad I did it.

Safety:

Safety is like in any other big city, as long as you keep your wits about you, you will be fine. I personally never felt unsafe or had any unsavory run-ins of any kind. I did get my bike stolen, but that is because I left it outside without a lock!

My experience in Argentina was one I will never forget. Being able to immerse myself in the language and the culture was amazing. I do wish the sheet that was given to us was actually fulfilled and we did all the things you guy saiid we were going to do. I also wish there was more of a backup check on the people that do housing because I feel like the ARCOS staff really don't know each other the way they should know one another. Raul and Patricia were amazing and truly made it an experience that is unforgettable.