Camille M. answered our questions about her experience in Buenos Aires. She enjoyed living with a host family and traveling around in Argentina and to neighbor countries Uruguay, Perú and Chile.
How did you choose your study abroad destination? What attracted you from that program, city, and country?
I have already traveled to Europe, including Spain, and South America presented me with a new and unique place to travel to. From the beginning of my study abroad process, I knew I wanted to spend my time abroad living in a Spanish speaking country while taking classes in Spanish that would go towards my Spanish minor, as well as business courses that I could use towards my major at UMass. From there on, I was able to find a few programs that would fit my needs academically, and the next step was to think of what I wanted out of my program. I chose to study abroad with API in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Universidad de Belgrano.
How did the courses you took abroad fit into your academic path? Which courses were your favorites?
While abroad, I took two literature courses taught in Spanish: Latin American Literature and Argentine Literature. I was able to fit these courses into my Spanish minor at UMass as the mandatory upper-level courses. Additionally, I took two other economics courses taught in English: Argentine Economy and Latin America in the Global Economy. These two courses both fit into my upper level business electives needed for my major. I think my favorite courses were Argentine Economy and Latin American Literature due to the nature of the content that was taught and the engaging professors.
Where did you live while studying abroad? What would you remark from that experience?
One of the main reasons I chose API in Buenos Aires was the fact that program gave us the opportunity to live and experience life living with a host family. Although this option is not for some people, I was excited to live with a host family that would provide me with dinner 6 times a week and breakfast every morning. Apart from the logistics of living with a host family, I truly got to immerse myself into an Argentine family dynamic, as well as, have someone to rely on for advice and help with any issue that arose during my time there.
What did you do in your spare time? What activities did you like?
In Buenos Aires I enjoyed visiting parks and museums within different areas of the city, as well as finding fun places to eat. In addition, I enjoyed taking trips to different parts of Argentina, such 
as Iguazú (also in Brazil), Jujuy (in the picture), Mendoza, Tigre, and Bariloche. Apart from Argentina, I also traveled to Uruguay, Peru, and Chile. Through the API program, the group had the opportunity to go on excursions, such as a day trip to an estancia (a ranch), a day trip to Tigre, a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay, a cooking lesson, and many more.
What advice would you give to a student considering studying abroad in this program?
In general, I would recommend to any student considering studying abroad to look at a lot of different options and decide what you want out of a study abroad experience. If you want to stay with a host family and become good friends with a close-knit group while easily fulfilling any academic requirements back at UMass, this is a great opportunity and you won’t regret it! The program directors are great people and the program gives you plenty of opportunities not just to experience the culture in Argentina, but South America as a whole.