8 things I wish I had known before studying abroad in Argentina

 I spent my exchange semester at Universidad Torcuato di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in this post, I share my insider tips on being an exchange student in Argentina.

Even though, things went pretty well and my head has been filled up with lots of information about politics in Latin America and things nobody tells about Argentina in the guidebooks, looking back there have been some curious things about studying in Argentina.

So, in case you are considering the same move as me, here are a few things to take into account that I wish I had known before studying abroad in Argentina.

Please mind that this is based on personal experiences at Universidad Torcuato di Tella. Things might change from university to university in Argentina – feel free to share your own experiences as an exchange student in any Argentine university in the comments below or ask if you have any questions.

Actually, I enjoyed so much studying in Argentina so I chose to stay in Buenos Aires and study my Masters.

#1 Your hands will burn during exam times

The exams are old fashion written by hand… ALL of them! This means that “computerized” people like myself will have a hard time with their hands and handwriting during exam periods.

I don’t think I have ever written a whole exam essay by hand… I mean in like EVER. The last time I wrote an exam by hand was my math exam in high school which… well, quite a couple of years ago.

Ever since I started university in Denmark all my exams have been written on a computer, and close to all my notes are taken on a computer as well… Soo, ah! My hands were burning by the end of the final exams. The good thing is though that exams are only two hours in duration. Apart from that…

#2 Exams were super informal and done inside the classroom

For me exams are normally a whole little official ritual of going to the big exam hall far away from the rest of the campus, getting your student ID inspected, and having a whole group of elderly people guard you for the 4 hours duration of your exam to be sure you don’t do anything you are not supposed to… And they are hard on you; show me the inside of your pencil case, don’t leave your jacket on your chair, and (for God sake) DO NOT have your bag close to you at all. And then, of course, we start EXACTLY on time! Not one minute before, not one minute after. 9 o’clock means 9 o’clock, end of story!

The atmosphere around exams at Universidad Torcuato di Tella was quite different. You could enter the assigned classroom for the exam without anybody checking on you. There would be two or three guards, and sometime before the exam started, you would causally hand them your student ID, no big check or anything.  And maybe maybe not your teacher would be there. Maybe-maybe not he or she would arrive a bit late, and you would therefore start the exam late. Maybe-maybe not they would give you a couple of advice on the answers or help you understand the questions…  It is a lot more relaxed than what I’m used to.

#3 Classes are small

Normally, I study at what is considered a smaller program at Copenhagen Business School with around 100 students per year. Sometimes the teacher remembers who you are but mostly you will pass by as one in the mass of students going to class.

In Universidad Torcuato di Tella the classes were smaller with approximately 30 students per class.

#4 The teacher quickly learns your name – or at least knows who you are…

Since the classes are small most teachers made an effort on getting to know you are little bit more, remember your name, or at least have an idea about who you are. Even a teacher I was sure had no idea about who I was started greeting me in the hallways.

#5 The students are generally more active in class discussions than back home

I don’t know if it is something with my program back home but generally, most students are not that keen on saying things or are starting debates in class. Some teachers have been better than others in kick-starting class debates but it has not been that impressive.

However, in Argentina, the students in general seem to be more active and eager to discuss in class, and the teachers also try to push toward discussions. Surely, it also has something to do with the class size. In the classes with more students, the lesser people seemed to get involved in discussions.

#6 There are no breaks during the classes… So if you want to go to the bathroom you just stand up and walk out

This sounds very strange, and it sort of is. Thus, it took me a very long time to get used to the fact that you can just stand up in the middle of a class and walk out if you need to go to the toilet. I’m used to teachers who get pretty annoyed if you do so during classes but in Argentina, they didn’t seem to mind at all.

#7 You will need your student ID every time you enter or leave the university

It might just be that this control of everybody entering and leaving the university hasn’t arrived at little trusting Denmark. So, for me, it was something have had to get used to at first. Every time I entered or exited the university I had to scan my student ID, and if I forgot it at home I had to ask the reception permission to enter, and they would check my name in the student database. At Copenhagen Business School you just enter, and only use your student ID for exams, printing stuff, or the library.

#8 You will be confused about their grading scale

Basically, the grading scale is pretty easy and goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the best. At least that was what we were told on the introduction day.

Then suddenly some teachers start giving your grades according to the percentage of correct answers (okay, that’s easy to convert to the 1-to-10 scale). Until you receive the grade from another teacher in another course, and he is using a A-B-C etc. grading scale… And then finally, on the final transcript, the grades are according to the latter. A bit confused? Maybe it is just me who a used to the fact that only one system is applied for all.

Now you are a little bit better prepared for what to expect from studying abroad in Argentina. All in all it has been an enjoyable experience to study in Argentina, and highly recommendable if you would like to improve your Spanish and want a high academic level.

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