IES Abroad - Study Abroad in Argentina

Study abroad can simply be expressed as an experience to embark on. With the opportunity to study abroad, you test yourself within the academic setting, as well as interpersonally and professionally. Being in an environment outside of my comfort-zone exposed me to the individual power that I have as a person and what I can contribute to enhance my once in a lifetime experience. I am truly grateful for each and every opportunity, as it resulted in a transformed version of myself.

I never really thought that Study Abroad would have the impact on me that it did. In fact, I was terribly nervous on the flight down to Argentina. I was worried that, since no one from my university was going, I wouldn't make any friends, and that my lower level of Spanish would be too inadequate to survive. When I got to my homestay and met my roommate, however, I realized that I'd always have at least one good friend during the semester and that I could make it through just fine. Very quickly, as time went on and as IES Abroad took our whole program on tours and group-bonding activities, I became comfortable and stress-free. The IES staff was ready and available for any questions and concerns that I had, and make every activity engaging. As far as what we did on these tours, words and pictures can only go so far as to describe the beauty and diversity of the city. The IES program classes started, soon followed by the single partner-university class that I took at Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA). My proficiency in Spanish quickly advanced and I could feel myself becoming a porteño more and more by the day. Some classes took time. It was important to section off a piece of my time at the homestay to sit down and read the required material for my classes. This wasn't a big problem at all, however, because going out at night all happened after 11pm (at the earliest). It took me a few weeks, but developing a consistent schedule for homework and free time was very helpful in making sure I did all that I wanted to. Of course, I wasn't perfect about my routine every day, but getting it all done is all that matters. IES organized both free trips for us and optional paid ones. I tried to do as many as possible and they were all phenomenal. I can not think back on my time abroad without remembering fondling and longingly the tango show, the futbol game, La Boca, Salta and Jujuy, and all of the other group activities we went on. Trips with friends were also highlights of my time there. With the close friends I made, we made trips to Colonia, Uruguay; Santiago, Chile; and Puerto Madyrn in Patagonia. As well, with PALS, the student organization at UCA that hosts events and trips for international students, I went to Iguazu Falls. The intense spiritual and jaw-dropping natural wonders I saw there changed my life and really did make me shed a tear. All too often now, I find myself thinking back on the friends I made, the museums I visited, the empanadas I ate, and all the small interactions around the city that I may have taken for granted. I have to go back to Buenos Aires, and all of Argentina, and all of South America, because it truly is a part of who I am now, as cliché as that may be.

I had such an amazing time in Buenos Aires, Argentina studying Spanish through IES Abroad. At first it was a little intimidating be so immersed in the Spanish language and culture, but IES helped make the transition easy and my host family welcomed me with open arms. I learned so much about South America and I really improved my Spanish along the way. I also had amazing opportunities to travel all around the country and to see everything that Argentina has to offer.

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires through IES gave me the best possible experience I could have asked for. I got to do everything I was expecting to be able to do, like traveling, improving my Spanish, making international friends, exploring the nature of Argentina, and more. More importantly, however, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience in ways I didn't expect. I got to deeply understand the culture and history of a country I admittedly knew very little about before going there, and I now feel intimately connected to a completely different part of the world. The community of Buenos Aires was so intertwined with all of my experiences there that I left feeling like I had truly become a knowledgeable part of it. IES gave me so many of the opportunities I took to get connected to the city, and I am so thankful that they as a program understand that studying abroad is a multifaceted experience. In classes and outside of classes, IES provided the framework I needed to have my ideal study abroad experience.

I will always remember my time at IES in Buenos Aires. I was not expecting to find much interest in the academics, and originally wanted to just spend my semester traveling to other parts of Argentina and exploring Buenos Aires. However, I learned to become very close with each of my professors and was taught course content that I would never have learned in the United States. I wish I could go back and do it again next semester.

I went into study abroad as a senior with minimal Spanish experience (besides the years I have taken in school that have not gotten me anywhere) and the fear that I was going to miss out on things at my university. Everyone will tell you going into it that you won't regret it for a second and of course I was reluctant to believe them, yet boy were they right. IES was one of the first programs that popped up on my screen when I began my search and it stayed on my list all the way through. While it was initially a random decision for a girl that didn't know much what she was doing, this program was a huge part of my experience in Buenos Aires. If you are deciding, here is what you should know: 1. The people in Argentina are by nature very friendly, warm, and caring. Yet the ones at IES even more so. On our first couple days not only were my host parents (random strangers at the time) incredible but the staff and professors are ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU, and not like a high school teacher but always there! They genuinely care about you as if you are their own children, they will hug you and root for you to succeed. 2. The classes were incredibly intimate! This used to freak me out in a school Spanish setting because I was embarrassed by my incredibly ability to butcher the language but at IES was small and close and everyone struggled along together :) My spanish class, and honestly every class I took with IES was so informative and engaging but without all the busy work of a normal university! I learned so much by just being there and speaking :) 3. The host families! I have heard horror stories about host parents whether they don't talk to the students or don't feed them anything besides bread... I can say with certainty that every IES family was gold. Students would come in bragging about the amazing food or just general warm, understanding nature of the hosts. Mine would invite me to church, ask me incredibly personal questions, and we would all chat over dinner every night. These people were a HUGE part of my experience, about me feeling welcome and at home in a city I didn't know and I couldn't have done it without them. Lucky for IES you don't have to. Even if you had a horror story you could talk to our amazing staff and then switch. I could go on and on about Buenos Aires and the opportunities that being in South America brought to me but in summary, there was not one day while I was in BA that I wanted to be at school more than I wanted to be there eating new food and hanging with my new people and learning a new language and culture. IES was incredibly organized, homey, and open to adaption if you had any problems! Please do this program you will NOT regret it for a second!!

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I went to Argentina with the goal of improving my language skills and earning credit towards my Spanish major, as well as having the experience of living, not just vacationing, in a foreign country. After doing this program, I can honestly say that I improved my Spanish skills a considerable amount, and feel comfortable speaking with whomever, native speaker or not. I earned credits toward majors at home, became fully proficient (CELU exam certified), made tons of friends, and had a great cultural experience. I feel like I integrated pretty well — IES staff helped expose us to as much as possible, and I learned a lot from Argentine friends I met in class and while going out. Everyone was very welcoming. Make sure to surround yourself with native friends and don't use English! I learned about the history of the country, how to use porteño accent & slang, how to prepare the traditional drink "mate", spoke about the current political situation, and read Argentine literature. I feel like Buenos Aires is another home for me, and the locals and IES helped make that possible.

Traveling to Buenos Aires was the best thing I’ve chosen to do so far in my life! I was exposed to literally a world-full of people, experiences, and culture (not to mention food), and I truly came back a different person than I was when I left. Sure, there were speed bumps, like any walk of life, but that’s part of the wonder of traveling. I’m so glad that I chose to stay in my city a lot, even though I traveled the country and continent as well. I really feel like I know Buenos Aires now; I feel like it’s my city.

I absolutely loved my time in Buenos Aires! The IES staff was extremely helpful. Let's face it, studying abroad can be challenging. Living in a foreign country and being away from family and friends can be scary. The IES staff made the transition as easy as possible. If you had a problem, they would do whatever they could to help you out. I honestly don't know if I would have made it through without them. The field trips offered by IES were really cool! They offered different trips and activities that exposed us to different aspects of Argentine culture. We took tours of Buenos Aires, attended rugby matches and saw shows. I highly recommend the trip to Salta and Jujuy. It is expensive but if you can afford it, it is totally worth it. The trip exposes you to the Argentine countryside and life outside of Buenos Aires. I really enjoyed my classes as well. There were a lot of reading assignments in my courses but overall the workload wasn't unreasonable. My professors were extremely knowledgeable and were more than willing to help you. Overall, I loved my time in Buenos Aires. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to experience life in the Paris of the Americas.

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires was definitely a life changing experience. While it was not my first time in Argentina, I discovered new parts and aspects of it that I would never have suspected to discover. Living in a city like Buenos Aires was also an amazing, eye opening experience. From the cultural aspect to the social life, for me it is a city that offers the best of all worlds and if I could, I would go back immediately. Since the first day, I felt at home, and fell in love with Argentina very fast, thanks to all the trips that IES organized for us. As soon as we got there, we had a packed schedule where IES kindly showed us around the city in order to get more acquainted to it. We all know the famous saying "some learning happens outside the classroom". Well I think that this applies perfectly to describe the IES program, as all of our courses were supplemented by fieldtrips to show us what the city had to offer, as well as illustrate some of the concepts we had learned throughout the semester. Living in a host family was also an amazing experience, as I feel I developed with them a real bond, and drastically improved my Spanish skills. When I had to say goodbye, it was as hard as saying goodbye to a close family member, but I know that I will be back in the country that now holds a very important place in my heart.

My most memorable experience was probably traveling around Argentina, and specifically to Mendoza. It was such a nice city to travel to and offered great pastimes like hiking and sight seeing. I did a little research on different abroad programs, and primarily chose IES because it offered homestays and internship opportunities. I stayed with a host family whom I loved. My host mom Francis was so sweet and eager to host students. Her husband Daniel was also hilarious and very welcoming as well. I stayed with another American student who was part of IES, and she and I got along great. We each had our own bedroom, access to wifi, meals during the week and breakfast everyday.