Me at the famous Iguazu Falls, an organized trip I did with 400 other international students

Author: Nina Thomas | Majors: International and Global Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, Spanish | Semester: Spring 2023

My adventure in Argentina began in January 2023 when my 9 hour flight from Miami had to take a detour for fuel in Mendoza in the west of the country, resulting in me arriving late and holding up my group at the airport for 3 hours. I hopped into our shuttle for the one hour ride to the city, forcedly trying to make conversation with the other students, all of us red-eyed and sweating from the summer heat after leaving winter back home. We arrived at our hotel and after showering and napping, we were back to life, ready to take on the city together. Over the next few days we got to know each other, learning how to move around the city and adjusting to the language and accent. We parted ways to meet our host families, and within a few days we were walking into the classrooms of our universities’ for the first time.

I chose the API Program for Humanities and Social Sciences in Buenos Aires for a number of reasons. I had always wanted to study abroad in Latin America to better my Spanish, and through my Spanish classes at U of A, I learned about the unique culture, nature, and history of Argentina and, specifically, Buenos Aires. I chose this specific API program because it meant I would be studying at the Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, one of the best private universities in the country which teaches the courses that interested me most.

I started my university exchange taking an Argentine Language and Culture class. The purpose of the course, which was for all of February, was to teach us Argentine culture, history, and dialect (yes, the Spanish is that different). We learned in the Di Tella classrooms but through excursions in the city and activities like cooking and dance classes. I learned so much from this class, and my classmates here became my closest friends for the remainder of the semester. Once the semester began in March, I chose to take two courses, one was on the Cold War in Latin America (in English), and the other was essentially an Argentine Film course (in Spanish). Both of these courses provided me with a cultural and historical lens to better understand Argentina and Latin America as a whole. The greatest difference I noticed between classes at my university here and U of A was that my courses in Argentina were almost exclusively lectures, and grades are determined by only one or two projects, presentations, or essays from the entire semester.

I also participated in an internship (for credit) with a local organization called the Foundation for the Studies and Investigation of Women (FEIM). The FEIM is a women’s organization which works to improve social, working, legal, political, economical, and health conditions of women and girls in all their diversity. As of writing this in July 2023, my program has officially ended, but I am still in Argentina and decided to extend my work with the FEIM because I have enjoyed it so much! My main role has been to draft and translate documents such as press releases from conferences where FEIM members have participated in, such as the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

To me, Argentine culture is best characterized by the attitude of its people. Whether I was riding the bus in Buenos Aires, walking through the halls of my university, or snowboarding in the Andes Mountains in Patagonia, Argentinians would always strike up a conversation. On an almost daily basis, people would talk to me out of nowhere, regardless of whether or not they realized I was a foreigner. They are extremely kind and inviting people, and they always want to know more about you and get to know you. I could talk forever about Argentina’s amazing nature, food, music, dance, language, and art, but my greatest takeaway from this experience has been the kindness and curiosity of its people.

If you are someone who has thought about spending a semester abroad, I would highly recommend this program! I think it would be a great option for a variety of people, because you can essentially choose any course available at the chosen university, with an abundance of courses in English if Spanish intimidates you. API takes great care of its students, and specifically my onsite coordinator here has been absolutely amazing. Buenos Aires is a very big, safe, unique, and multicultural city with a European feel. Plus, it is a very thrifty choice, because US dollars are worth a lot here! If you are someone studying or wanting to learn Spanish, I would especially recommend this program and coming to Buenos Aires! Between living with my host mom, taking classes and having my internship in Spanish, and making so many Argentine friends, my Spanish has improved much much more than I had ever hoped it would.

My advice for anyone wanting to do this program, or studying abroad anywhere really, is to say yes to as many opportunities as possible! I really tried to push myself out of my comfort zone while studying abroad, and I look back now and see how much it helped me grow. As long as you are safe and prepared, you never know the things you will see and people you will get to know out of it. Also, if you get the chance, absolutely travel on your breaks!!! I was able to see so much of Argentina and also go to Uruguay, Brazil, and Chile, which I will be forever forever grateful for and in disbelief about! Take advantage of every opportunity you get, just in general!

And, the first thing I’ll be doing when I arrive home is make myself a big ole pot of Kraft mac and cheese and then go hang out with my cats and new dog.