Awesome Cultural Immersion Experience but 2 weeks is not enough time!
Mente Argentina was an incredibly enriching experience that I would recommend to anyone considering living in Argentina or just wants to immerse themselves in Argentinian culture for a few weeks. The registration and enrollment process was seamless and the staff was very responsive and helpful throughout the program. Intensive Language Program: I participated in Mente Argentina to enhance my Spanish language skills, and it delivered excellently on this front. Classes were conducted almost entirely in Spanish, (even for those with little Spanish skills, instructors do a great job of communicating in Spanish most of the time) fostering an immersive learning environment that was relaxed but professional. All of the instructors were native speakers (and many of them had extensive knowledge of the local socio-political context of Argentina). They all had extensive teaching experience, which helped us grasp complex linguistic nuances. I really enjoyed the small class sizes which allowed for personalized attention and active participation/conversation, making the in-class learning process extremely effective. Though after four hours, my brain was exhausted. While I was only in the language program for a week, I learned about Argentinian history, culture, literature, and politics while also learning a little Spanish along the way! Cultural Immersion: Beyond the classroom, the Mente program emphasized cultural immersion and offered various cultural activities, such as Mate classes, dance workshops, and guided tours of historic sites, which enriched our cultural knowledge. The Mente-sponsored lunches and other programs were also a bonus and not something I expected but certainly took advantage of! I met some really cool folks from all over the world including the UK, Canada, Australia and other parts of the US. Make sure to take the La Boca tour and the Bike Tour, they were my favorites!! All of the tours that Mente offers were phenomenal and had really knowledgeable tour guides and the best part, they’re free! DJ Program: By far this was my favorite part of my experience. The instructor for this program was absolutely the best and I could not have asked for a better experience. Though I was only in the DJ program for two weeks, I strongly recommend that you spend a minimum of 4 weeks if you are serious about learning how to be a DJ. Two weeks for me was not enough but it certainly was an experience I will never forget! Social Integration: The program fostered a strong sense of community among the participants. I really liked that many of us came from diverse backgrounds but shared a common goal of learning Spanish. This created a supportive and collaborative atmosphere. The group activities and excursions were cool and provided opportunities to bond and make lasting friendships. The social aspect of the program was a significant highlight, making the experience enjoyable and memorable. Living Arrangements: This was also one of my favorite aspects of the Mente Program. I stayed in a one-bedroom loft apartment in Recoleta, though I’d recommend rooming with others for the social aspect. The apartment was nice and had everything I needed, best part is it was located near many cafes and restaurants and directly across the street from a laundry mat. The location was convenient too, close to bus and metro stops. I never felt unsafe especially walking around late at night. Some negatives/areas to improve upon: Balancing academic responsibilities with cultural activities and social engagements was occasionally challenging, especially if you are only there for two weeks like I was. If you plan to stay longer, this may not be that big of a deal because there is so much to do in Argentina, I couldn’t do it all in two weeks. I would have liked to have had more organized Mente events in the evening since that is when I had more free time. A slightly reduced time in the Spanish courses could have allowed for a better balance between study and leisure. A four-hour course in the morning and then a 2 hour course in the late afternoon is a bit rough. I would have preferred a more back to back schedule so that I could have more free time in the evening. Also, keep in mind that Argentinians go out to dinner very late at night so plan accordingly! The only other issue I had was the confusion with the Metro Card and the Sim card for the phone, it wasn’t clear on how much credit was loaded on the metro card. The Sim phone card was confusing as well, it was not clear if there were phone minutes or data and whether or not more minutes/data needed to be purchased.
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