First Time Away in BA!

The only downside to my time in Buenos Aires with ISA was that the one month program was too short. I regretting not staying for the two month summer or a whole semester. We studied at the Universidad de Belgrano which is located a nice residential area. My host parents were a friendly older couple who only wanted to make my time in BA as enjoyable as it could be. They were 100% accommodating and made my transition into the city/culture really easy. They made me feel like home in their home. Our apartment was not the biggest but I was welcome to bring friends around and it was very cozy. We were located a few blocks from the metro which was great!

The university was not very far away from my apartment. I think around a 15 minute walk. It is not a typical "campus," more like a very tall building with classrooms in it. Upon arriving, we took placement exams to figure out what level Spanish class we would attend. This was only a suggestion because you could go up or down a level, depending on what you felt comfortable in. Unfortunately, I tested into a lower level but I should have taken the next level up because my classes were too easy. I also stayed at this level because I preferred the scheduling, I had more time in the afternoon to explore the city. I still learned a lot but would have improved more in a harder class.

The staff at ISA were very friendly and always there to help us when needed. They spoke as much Spanish as possible so we are able to practice and understand it more. When they spoke in English, it was only to clarify on important matters. Just to make sure we all understood. They encouraged us to speak Spanish as much as possible with locals as well as people in our group (even though we still mainly spoke English to each other). In the four weeks I was there we had a few different excursions and one weekend off, for free time. My favorite was the trip to Misiones and Iguazu Falls. We had taken a bus up to the falls and made a few stops on the way to different points of interest. After going to the falls we went to a few villages in the area. We had stayed at a nice hotel with a pool and also had time to explore with our friends. We flew back to BA.

I really liked working with ISA, they answered all my questions prior to signing up. The price was reasonable and it was really easy to pay. We had an airport pick up and the office was in a location of the office was convenient. I studied abroad a second time and I did use ISA again. They even offer a discount for people who have used them in the past. I signed up for their semester abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico as well as ELAP (volunteering). I would definitely recommend ISA to anyone. If you sign up for classes which are too easy, it is very easy to switch into a different one. Do it! Don't cheat yourself!