IES Abroad Buenos Aires

This past summer I studied abroad for 6 weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina through IES Abroad. From the moment I arrived in the airport until the day I left, I felt supported and encouraged from IES Abroad staff. At the airport, I received an alfajor, and this classic Argentinian snack became my after-lunch dessert everyday—for better or for worse. IES Abroad provided myself and the other people in the program with entertainment ranging from a tango show (after having an exciting tango lesson) to Fuerza Bruta (an immersive experience) to a rugby game. Through intimate dinners with my host family and classes most days, I truly started to understand and appreciate Argentinian culture. My teachers at the IES Abroad center cared about my interests and explained the daily customs of Buenos Aires. Even with planned activities spread throughout the 6 weeks, I still had time to explore Buenos Aires after class and on the weekends. We even went to Iguazu Falls early on—a site I will never forget. Whether visiting Barrio Chino, Café Tortoni, or Teatro Colón, I felt a part of Buenos Aires. Coming from Los Angeles, I knew how to live in a city, but Buenos Aires was like no other. My homestay was in Recoleta, surrounded by tall buildings and storefronts. On my walk to school each day, I marveled at the busy streets and crowded taxis. I lived off the energy around me. As for my Spanish, I realized I can live in a Spanish-speaking city, whether that involves hailing a taxi, doing my laundry, or ordering at the local café. The program supported me and the staff constantly made sure that I was enjoying my experience through discussions where we could be open about any problems we had faced. The team at IES Abroad always gave us recommendations for restaurants and weekend activities; I never had a dull moment in my 6 weeks. I cannot recommend studying abroad enough, but more so studying abroad with IES Abroad, as they care about their students and understand the difficulties that come with living in a different country.

My experience in Buenos Aires was truly unforgettable. That is a cliche thing to say, I know, as it is said by virtually each and every student who studies abroad. But I truly believe that my time not only in Buenos Aires, but specifically with IES was a special one to say the least. Buenos Aires is a magical city. You have the South American culture, yet in a very European-like, metropolitan city. The Spanish is so beautiful, yet the people are even more so - in their looks and in their actions. They are kind, welcoming, encouraging, and respectful, and they make you want to experience their hometown like they have. I had this experience both with random locals I met, with my host family, and with the people who worked with IES. IES truly could not have made me feel more at home in a city so far and so different from my actual home than they did. The opportunities for community they provided, their services and encouragement they continuously offered, and the ways in which they challenged me to do my best and to make the most out of my experience was second to none, and was with out a doubt one of, if not the, greatest factor in making my time abroad so spectacular. If i could do it again, I would. A thousand times over.

IES has a great set up in Buenos Aires and a very well located center and convenient homestays. the staff are very supportive and helpful and one of the best parts of the program. The course listing on the IES Abroad website did not match the actual course offerings, and there weren't many available courses, but generally not very many students do this program so it doesn't make sense to have a ton of courses. I heard the mismatch of offerings is the fault of chicago not buenos aires.

Nothing can replace the experience you have and the life you live while studying abroad. IES does a fabulous job of: connecting argentine culture to every single one of your classes, offering trips to see Argentina from a variety of lenses, sending you events going on every week and weekend in the city, making sure you're safe and comfortable, and for me, providing the most wonderful host family.
I lived with one woman, and her lovely, old perro. She was such a sweet and caring, yet chill and funny woman, and something I can't thank her enough for is opening her arms to make me a part of her family. I would go over her kids' houses for dinner and lunch and her grandkids quickly became my hermanitos. The way I was able to dive in and be so up close and personal to the Argentine life, and find my own personal way to connect to their values, was irreplaceable. My second family, as well as my friends I became close with (other U.S. students through IES and students from Spain, Italy, Germany, and France through an international students trip) we're the hardest part about leaving this beautiful country. I also made friends in Argentina just from going out into the amazing night life, as well as from joining a fútbol league with the coolest girls. Every Saturday they would drive me an hour away with them to go play, and after to enjoy the sun, grab a mouthwatering sandwich from la parilla, and jam to the live DJ.
My exposure to the language made my confidence in speaking Spanish skyrocket and made everywhere I went a mind-boggling adventure. It was my first time away from home for that long of a time-period, and of course I missed my crazy family and hilarious friends, but the explosion of your mind opening and expanding more than you could ever imagine, makes it all worth it. P.S. the vino tinto, choripan, and dulce de leche make it all worth it too ;)

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.

Before studying abroad, you have no idea what you're about to have. I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina for 5 months, and it was nothing as I had anticipated. My goal was to improve my Spanish communication skills. I succeeded in that goal, but I also accomplished goals I didnt even know I had as a result of the culture contrast between there and the U.S. Overall, I was not academically challenged. I was thankful for the required grammar class because we reviewed and learned grammatical structures, conjugations, etc., through lecture/test taking and oral presentations. I took one other class I found worthwhile and it was a writing class. I had a phenomenal professor who was funny, engaging, respectful, informative, efficient, etc., all the good things about a professor. He would make time to correct our writing assignments outside of class that weren't for his class, for example. One of the professors, for whom I was not a student, took it upon herself to show me a conservatory in La Plata (upon learning I was a music student back home). This program offers the opportunity to meet compelling and compassionate people, and for that I recommend it. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of academic rigor, although peer students disagreed with me on the difficulty. I made peace with this when I had time to explore more of the city and spend more time outside of the classroom, which is what I really needed to gain confidence as a Spanish speaker. Learning outside of the classroom is the essence of studying abroad, and I was thankful for the flexibility of my schedule to be able to do that.

IES Abroad was a fantastic experience. I lived in a homestay in the neighborhood of Palermo-- definitely one of the best parts of the city! Living in a big city was such a fun experience and there is always something to do. The classes can be very easy or very challenging depending on how much Spanish immersion you want in your experience. IES accepts a wide range of students with an equally wide range of Spanish speaking abilities, so you can choose to make your classes easier or harder on yourself. Their orientation week is amazing and jam packed with fun activities around the area. The staff is super accommodating and will do whatever they can to help students have a great experience abroad. I miss Buenos Aires so much and I can't wait to go back!

Oh boy, I'm sure I have a few chart topping stories to bum you out, but my favorite unique experience is definitely a positive. I was alone for a short break and I decided to travel on the other side of the country. On a whim, on the side of a mountain (I was hiking in Jujuy) I began to film myself. For the next two days I filmed 45 seconds every few hours of me: meeting new people, taking a break in a cafe, wheezing on a mountain, or seeing something beautiful.
I was able to appreciate so many things about the trip that I didn't know I would, and I actually watched my videos the other day. Without sitting behind a lens the whole time, I was able to experience a world full of sights and it was amazing. I would encourage anyone to try this at any time in their life. You never know what you might catch on camera.