Education: Buenos Aires (MO)

Some skyline of Buenos Aires

Luckily for me, a typical school day does not start until 10 am, but I do have to take a 30 minute subway ride and walk many blocks to get to my destination. Classes in Argentina only meet once a week, so therefore it is very typical for my classes to be 3 or 4 hours long. This is a slight struggle at times to keep concentrated for such a long amount of time, but I can always get through the hours by telling myself that this is the only time this week. The education in Argentina is also almost solely based off of readings. This means that you are assigned between 75-150 pages to read for each class, and that the first half of the class is a lecture while the second half of the class is based on the readings. The act of reading here is essential, but of course is hard for exchange students because it takes almost double the time to read in Castellano. There are also only one or two tests in each class and you have to pass both of them to be eligible to take the final. Once, you take the final the grade that you receive for the class is only the grade that you got on the final. Luckily throughout the semester, there are many field trips planned in all of my courses. This is interesting because what I am learning about occurred in the same city that I am living in, so we can take trips to the various places where the events took place.

Attending university in Argentina is very different than in the United States. A very small percentage of the population attends college here, and even a smaller amount actually completes their degree. In Argentina they do not have the concept of bachelors, masters, and PhD, therefore one does not just finish college in a specific amount of time. The average person attends college for 7 or 8 years in Argentina. Porteños are also notorious for not knowing when they will be graduating. When asked if they know when they will be graduating, they usually laugh and explain that nobody ever knows when they will finally be done. It is very common for Argentines to work full time during their studies. My host sister for example works full time during her studies, so she only takes one class a semester.

UCA

Through my study abroad program we are able to directly enroll in classes at many different universities: The University of Buenos Aires (UBA), The Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), The National University of Argentina (UNA), and a technical design school. The different universities vary greatly in many aspects. UBA is the largest public university in the country, but is also the #1 ranked university in the country. UCA is a private catholic school which is expensive, and UNA is public art university. Campuses do not exist in Argentina, and there are academic building throughout the entire city. Fortunately the Language Department of UBA is only 4 blocks from my house, so I do not have to walk too far. Most people in Buenos Aires attend UBA, but there is of course a stereotype that the upper class goes to universities like UCA because they have nicer facilities and offer more campus-like activities.

Typical reading material for Argentine classes

The academic style in Argentina is also very different. At Allegheny I feel like we have stronger connections with our professors and that they care more about our well being. In Argentina, is how I assume it is at bigger universities within the U.S., the professor do not have the time to get to know students. It is expected that students do all of their homework, and that if they have any questions that they seek extra help from a tutor. Professors do not hold office hours in Argentines, nor do they have offices. It is very common that a professor has a second job, and that they teach at multiple different universities.

My new favorite study place...this is a historical theatre
converted into a bookstore!

I feel that this difference in learning styles has helped me acknowledge how much I am grateful for the opportunities that I have at Allegheny. At university in Buenos Aires there are no extra-curricular activities, the professors do not learn your name, and the facilities are not very clean. Although these are all things that I am grateful for at Allegheny, I do believe that most of these are taken for granted. It is assumed that our college is organized and can deal with most difficult situations. In Argentina there is a large lack of organization, and this greatly reflects the way that people feel about their academic institutions.