Expanish Study Abroad Blog

Study abroad is a life changing experience for those who are lucky enough to take advantage of such opportunities. Choosing to spend a semester abroad in Buenos Aires offers many personal advantages, such as opening your eyes to a new culture, language, and lifestyle. In addition to personal growth, a study abroad student offers unique appeal and experience that employers are looking for! Study abroad will undoubtedly have an impact on your future success!

Study abroad experiences encourage students to think and act globally- an invaluable skill in an uneasy worldwide job market and economy. A student who spends a semester abroad in South America will face challenges that will help to develop unique abilities such as:

• intercultural communication skills
• flexibility in new or demanding situations
• an understanding and acceptance of differences
• self- confidence and the ability to take risks

If you choose to study abroad in Buenos Aires, be sure to include this significant experience on your resume, and to discuss the values of your experience with potential employers at interviews. Employers are looking for individuals with varied and worthwhile experiences on their resumes, and there is no better way to stand out to them than with a past study abroad experience!

Take advantage of the many study abroad programs in Buenos Aires offered through Expanish!

Living and traveling abroad can quickly become very expensive! Whether you’re new to Buenos Aires or want to learn a bit more about the city, a company called BA Free Tour is a great option for visitors of any age to get a casual and free guided tour of the city. BA Free Tour offers two different walking tours Monday through Saturday each week, lasting about two and a half hours.

The first tour of the day, the Buenos Aires Free City Tour, takes off at 11 AM from Plaza del Congreso.

Your tour guide will guide you through many of the major downtown attractions, making stops at Teatro Colon, La Casa Rosada, and Calle Florida. BA Free Tour’s guides are native porteños, offering insight into Buenos Aires’ rich history, along with some stories and tips that you probably wouldn’t be exposed to on the more formal, expensive tours! The afternoon tour, the Aristocratic Buenos Aires Tour, begins at 5 PM at Plaza San Martin. This tour will take you through the elegant neighborhoods of Recoleta and Retiro, where you will be able to learn about the European influence on both the architecture and the customs in these communities.

If you are here studying abroad in Buenos Aires BA Free Tour is a great option for anyone on a budget! There is no need to reserve your spot on these tours, just show up at a meeting point and be ready to have some fun and learn a little bit more about this wonderful city!

Want other ideas for exploring Buenos Aires?

Click here to see opportunities offered through Expanish Study Abroad!

When studying in a foreign country, day to day activities can sometimes be tricky to master!   If you study abroad in Buenos Aires, you will learn that tipping customs are a bit different from what you are used to back home. Here are a few rules of thumb to make the day to day life of studying abroad in Buenos Aires a bit easier, and a lot less stressful!

• Restaurants:

A standard tip in a restaurant in Buenos Aires is 10% of the final bill. Lounging at a café with family and friends is a common way to spend an afternoon in Buenos Aires. You will quickly notice the style of restaurant service is reflective in this- generally a bit slower and more relaxed than what you may be used to, however, it should still be attentive! If you feel as though service you receive is below average, leaving a 6-10% tip is appropriate. Remember, if you pay your bill with a credit card, most places do not allow tips to be left on a card, so always have enough pesos with you to cover a tip!

• Taxis/Remises:

Tipping a cab driver in Buenos Aires is not required; however, locals and foreigners alike often choose to leave the driver the coins that you are given with your change. Some drivers may go above and beyond a normal level of service, loading your luggage into the trunk for you or making multiple stops for you and your friends …feel free to thank these drivers with a small tip!

• Restroom Attendants:

You will find that many restrooms in restaurants, bars, and nightclubs have an attendant at night time, selling small items (gum, mints) and keeping the bathrooms tidy. These attendants are working for tips, so it is appropriate to leave about one peso for their service.

Like anywhere in the world, tipping for exceptional service is always appreciated in Buenos Aires, so feel free to acknowledge great service with a little something extra. When studying abroad in Buenos Aires, don’t worry about getting everything right in the beginning…with a little patience, you’ll be living like a porteño in no time!

Learn more about studying abroad in Buenos Aires here!

What is a pot-luck?

: A meal at which each guest brings food that is then shared by all. 

Studying abroad in Buenos Aires means taking advantage of student nights where you get together will your fellow university mates, share dinner, share stories, and share travel adventures!

Depending on your cooking skills (or motivation skills), you may not be prepared to host and to cook for one of these nights, therefore, a pot-luck is the perfect solution. Plus, when studying abroad, you get the best of pot-lucks as you will be a whole mixing pot of cultures meaning that everyone can bring a dish that is specific to their country and culture, creating a very eclectic meal for everyone to enjoy.

How to Organize a Pot-Luck 

1. Invite your friends (in this case, the amount of people does not really matter as everyone will be bringing a dish, therefore, there will be more than enough food and drink to go around)
2. Let everyone know that they must bring a dish or drink (organize so that you don’t have 10 drinks and one food dish) that is traditional to their culture or country
3. Organize your place to host the guests

That’s it. Fast, easy, and convenient.

Looking for meal ideas? Check these online recipes, perfect for finding something delicious to make!

Interested in study abroad programs in Buenos Aires? Check out our Semester, Spanish language, and Summer abroad programs in Argentina!

February is the month of carnival in Buenos Aires! – Celebrate the Carnival Porteño 2010!!

From Saturday, February 6th until Sunday, February 28th, the city of Buenos Aires will be hosting carnival every weekend in a different neighborhood in Buenos Aires. In total, over 17,000 artists will will participate, 100 carnival bands, and over one thousand base drums and other percussion instruments will be featured. 

Study Abroad in Buenos Aires while Celebrating Carnival 2010!

This carnival is a mix of traditional folkloric music, urban folk customs, traditional dancing, and plenty of humour in every song or skit. The artists dress up in colorful costumes, often including gloves, top hats, long coats, and walking stick, and play music and dance to various themes.

The Schedule:

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14:  Abasto: Av. Córdoba between Agüero and Sanchez de Bustamante

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28: Almagro: Av. Corrientes between Medrano and Palestina

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21: Balvanera: Av. Independencia between Alberti and Rincón

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14:  Boedo 2: Av. Belgrano between Columbres and Maza

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28:  Caballito 1: Av. Avellaneda between N. Oroño and F. Sarmiento

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28:  San Telmo: Av. San Juan between Balcarce and Peru

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28:  Coghlan: Av Congreso between Holmberg and Machain

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28: Colegiales: Av. Federico Lacroze between R. Freire and Martínez

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28:  Boedo 1: Av. Boedo between San Juan and Independencia

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28:  Saavedra 1: Av. Balbín between Plaza and Jaramillo

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28:  Saavedra 3: Av. Balbín between Pico and Arias

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28:  Villa Crespo: Av. Scalabrini Ortiz between Av. Corrientes and Padilla

Feb 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28 :  Villa Urquiza: Av. Triunvirato between Roosevelt and Rivera

Feb 20, 21, 27, 28:  Parque Centenario: Lambaré between Corrientes and Bogado

Check out the Buenos Aires Government Page for more information!

Check out our Study Abroad Programs in Buenos Aires!

It is 2010 and another exciting electronic is on the market!

Love to read while traveling or studying abroad?

Don’t have enough room in your suitcase or backpack from dozens of books?

Check out the new Sony Reader!!

The Sony Reader is a small hand held screen that allows you to download books, newspapers, magazines, articles, and more, save them into the Reader, and read them as you go.

This new Reader will eliminate the hassle of bring heavy books, obnoxious newspapers and magazines with you when you travel, and give you the chance to have all your reading pleasures at your fingertips.

The Reader is set up as a flat screen computer, only 5 x 8-1/8 x 23/32 inches, and can work with all computers and forms of software to download reading materials. It weighs only 12.75 oz.

The device can be plugged in or used on rechargeable lithium battery.

This Reader is a great tool for study abroad students who want to continue reading their favourite literature abroad, but just don’t simply have the room to bring a dozen books!

Check out SONY for more information about the Reader!

Check out our Study Abroad Programs for More Information About Studying Abroad in Buenos Aires!

You are coming to Buenos Aires to do a summer abroad in Argentina and want to know a little bit about the local culture, and the word porteño floats around every time you mention the people or culture in Buenos Aires.

What does this word mean you ask yourself? 

A porteño is someone who is from Buenos Aires. The name comes from ‘port’, as Buenos Aires is a port town. The male version of porteño is used to describe the people in Buenos Aires (in general terms) but is changed to porteña when specifically referring to a woman from Buenos Aires.

What is this porteño culture that everyone is talking about?

• Porteños are from Buenos Aires, born and bred, and therefore are big city people.
• Porteños have fast moving lives so that they can keep up with the hustle and bustle in Buenos Aires. Believe me, if you meet someone from a small town in Patagonia and someone from Buenos Aires, you can sense the difference in pace.
• Porteños love to go out to eat or drink; restaurants, cafes, and bars are full any day of the week, any hour of the day. They love to enjoy a time out with friends and family, eating traditional and international cuisine, at least a few times a week.
• Porteños are social people; they can spark up a conversation with anybody, anytime. They like to talk about the day, the news of the week, the weather, or anything else of interest, and then just go on their merry way.
• Porteños are fashionable. They are from a city that hosts every top local and international designer and they take a lot of pride in their looks. They dress up for work, for events, and just in general, and they naturally look great.
• Porteños love dogs. So many people in Buenos Aires have dogs, proven by the enormous amount of dogs you see walking every morning with their dog walkers.
• Porteños are people with a mostly European background (Italy, Spain, France) and have a sincere space in their heart for that continent. They are interested in traveling and foreign cultures.

If you are going to head to Argentina for a summer abroad in South America, the previous information should give you a quick idea of what you can expect from the local people-culture here. Of course, the culture is much more detailed than what is written above, but it is a good general start. Let us know what you think of the porteño culture here in Buenos Aires!

Check our our Summer Abroad in Buenos Aires programs!

No doubt you have seen these delicious meat filled pastries that can be found almost anywhere throughout Buenos Aires.  Empanadas are an important part of Argentine cuisine, a snack or meal that can be found through the entire country, differentiating slightly depending on the region it is being made.

Although these little “meat pies” are easy and inexpensive to buy, making them is part of the fun of living abroad in another country, and luck for us, they are easy to make.  You can head to any local supermarket and buy the following:

Empanada Dough

You can go two ways here, go to the supermarket and buy the packages of ready-made empanada shells OR make the dough yourself.

• 2 cups of flour
• 100gram of butter
• pinch of salt

Add the flour and butter, add a small amount of water and kneed the dough until it is soft.

Fillings:

If you have made the dough, flatten the dough out to only a 2 millimetre width, and cut into small circles (10 cm). Inside, add what you like: Ground beef with onion and pepper/ chick with veggies/ cheese with tomato and basil/ham and cheese/ all veggies/ etc…

Place the empanadas in an oven, 300F, and wait until they are golden brown.

See how easy! Take them to lunch, for a snack, or invite other study abroad students in Buenos Aires to come over and have an empanada party!

Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina 

At the best of travel times, you are equipped with a travel backpack, travel itinerary, and the will to take over the world! You want to see it all, try it all, taste it all, and experience it all. You have adjusted your mind set to take on 18 hour bus rides, hostels with cold showers, mystery street food, foreign languages, and everyday waking up to a new adventure. 

The question: How long does this feeling/want/need last?

4 Signs That You Are Ready to Throw in the Hostel Towel and Buy Your Own Towel!

• 1. You once packed 10 cities in to two weeks of travel; today, you want to stay in one city for at least two weeks. 

Often, wanting to stay longer in a place signifies the slowing down of traveling. When we are travel focused we want to see every city and every site, but when one wants to stay somewhere longer and really get to know the place, it is a sure sign of backpacking-slowdown.

Living abroad in a country gives you the chance to discover a city, its site, daily life, the people, and the culture.

• 2. You are ready to trade your ‘zip-off-in-three-places-fast-dry-and-breathable-shorts’ for a lovely summer dress with open toe flats (for the ladies) or a nice pair of jeans and button shirt (for the guys).

Depending on your travel attitude in the moment, those travel clothes that we have been hauling around start to look less and less appealing. You may start to want to buy nicer things, to fit into a city scene, to blend in with the locals.

Living abroad means becoming in sync with daily life, daily customs, locals, and more, and if you are studying in Buenos Aires, it could mean ditching that travel wear and getting back into your normal style.

• 3. You want to sleep in the same bed night after night…

There is something to be said for being in a familiar environment, having your personal items around you, and sleeping in the same bed night after night. This may mean that the idea of hostels is, for the time being, not so attractive any longer.

Living abroad gives you the opportunity to be in a safe and familiar environment, with your own personal items right around you. 

• 4.  You are making a big effort to meet new people, and keep them as friends.

One of the best parts of living abroad is the incredible people you meet – however ,if you are constantly on-foot, its quite difficult to keep these friends. 

Living abroad gives you the chance to meet new people, spend time with them, and often find life long friends. Nothing is better than sitting at a restaurant in a foreign country with foreign friends, discussing your life abroad.

Are you ready to turn your travel experience into a Study Abroad in South America experience. Check out our Study Abroad programs in Buenos Aires!

Adapting to any new community can be a challenge – moving abroad and studying in a new university with foreign students can have its challenges but with the right state of mind, attitude, and plan, studying abroad and adapting to the environment of a new university, should be absolutely painless!

3 Steps to Adapting to a New University

Lose that surprised look on your face and lose the anxiety

You are well aware beforehand that you will be going to a new university with new students, new classrooms, a new language, and more, so try to just shrug off the feelings of anxiety. It is very common for us to begin to feel anxious, focus on that anxious feeling, and then stay there with that anxious feeling . With a little mind power, you can reassure yourself that you knew you were going to a place you have never been, and that is exactly why you are there – to experience something new. So accept it. Walk through those university halls with excitement and take in everything you see.

Be open to your new surroundings and your new classmates

One of the best things about traveling abroad is this new sense of invincibility that most of us start to feel. Most travelers will admit that they do things when they are abroad that they would never do back home; take tango classes, talk to complete strangers, make friends from around the world, join clubs, etc. You must do the same in your new university if you want to adapt quickly to your new environment. Don’t be afraid of looking like a foreigner, of not understanding something in the language, or of just generally making a fool out of yourself. Talk to the people in your classroom, invite them to have coffee after school or going dancing, sit at the front of the class or next to the Argentine student, and get to know your surroundings. There may be difficult times but the more you do the above, the better experience you will have, without regrets.

Create a balance in your life abroad

It is best if you incorporate some of your habitats from back home while adjusting to your new habitats abroad. Don’t forget how important you school is and getting good grades; just because you’re abroad does not mean you have to go out every night of the week and learn more about the local nightclubs than Latin American history and politics. Eat well and take care of yourself; feeling healthy will let you to enjoy your time abroad. If you are gym nut, join a local gym or get your classmates together to play sports or job in a local park.  Keep in touch with your friends and family back home; use that internet and keep connected. Become part of clubs or teams from the university, this will help you get to know people and feel part of the university community.

Interested in Studying Abroad in Argentina? Check out our Study abroad programs in Buenos Aires!