NYU Buenos Aires campus, Study in Argentina

The most common conversation I have with other foreigners about their first impressions of Buenos Aires usually goes something like this: “It wasn’t what I expected. It’s so … civilized!”

Well, yes and no. This thriving, international capital is something of an anomaly in South America.

Parts of B.A. look, feel and taste like a modern, functional European city. Due to an enormous wave of Italian and Spanish immigration in the early 20th century, Argentina inherited a penchant for pizza, European pastries, a distinctive accent — highly influenced by Italian — and colloquialisms that can be downright bewildering for non-native speakers that learned Spanish in the U.S.

But despite its European ties, Buenos Aires is still very much a chaotic South American metropolis. Frequent protests and strikes, as well as the presence of villas and shanty towns, serve as daily reminders of the nation’s fragile economy, which is still recovering from a crippling meltdown in 2001.

The NYU Buenos Aires campus is in Barrio Norte, one of the wealthiest areas of the city. However, most students live in homestays in neighboring Palermo or Recoleta, a place lined with French palaces that is home of the Argentine aristocracy.

Although there are also two dorms that host NYU students, homestays are the better option. The houses are comfortable and you’ll have a captive audience at your disposal whenever you are overwhelmed by the desire to babble an incoherent sentence in Spanglish.

One drawback to the program is that it is a bubble — the campus is a beautiful building that is filled with yankis. (We are called yankis, not gringos, in Argentina.) Venture off the beaten path and away from the group from time to time. If you speak Spanish well, try to find a volunteer program outside of the service opportunities NYU will attempt to provide you with.

Currency or exchange rate: $1 to 3.94 pesos
Language spoken: Spanish
Weather: Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are mild, with temperatures averaging 63 degrees. January is the warmest month, with high temperatures and humidity.
Academics: Focus on Latin American studies.
Affiliated institutions: n/a Campus, housing, meals
Room status: All students live in NYU-arranged student residence halls or homestays.
On- or off-campus: Both, depending on housing
Homestay option: Yes
Cafeteria/meal plan/kitchens: Meal plan option in residence halls; kitchen privileges or shared meals in homestays.
Commute to class: Student rooms are about 15 minutes from the academic center.
City or residential area: City
Facilities: An academic center with classrooms, offices, computer lab, lounge and dining area.
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SOURCE:
“Study Abroad: Buenos Aires”
by Arielle Milkman
September 8, 2010
NYUNEWS.com
http://nyunews.com
http://nyunews.com/life/2010/09/08/09buenosaires/