Experience report
ANR: 584340
Name: Job Hendrickx
E-mail: j.b.hendrickx@tilburguniversity.edu
Exchange semester: Fall semester 2013-2014
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Academic year: 3 year
Host University: Universidad del CEMA
Country: Argentina
TOPIC: Admission, arrival, housing
How was your arrival organized? Did someone pick you up from the airport/station? Was an
orientation or introduction activity organized? How was accommodation organized? Does the
university provide you with accommodation? What kind of accommodation does the university provide?
Did you have to book your accommodation in advance or did you have to search for a place to live
after you arrived?
I arrived one month before the start of my courses in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When I arrived
at the airport, I searched for a transfer to the city center. With ‘Manuel Tienda Leon’ you can go
to the city center for around 90 pesos. A taxi would cost around 3 times as much so it’s a good
option. When the courses started we had an introduction day where you meet the other
exchange students and of course your exchange coordinators. The university itself doesn’t
have a campus and doesn’t provide housing. They do give you an excel sheet with housing
options. I didn’t use that list and already found a house when I still was in the Netherlands.
TOPIC: Location of university/city
Please describe the city you lived in. Where is the university located in the city? What is the best
place to go to eat/drink/dance/do sports/etc.? What are interesting things to see and do in your host
city? What was different than in Tilburg?
Buenos Aires is huge, busy, chaotic, and fairly dirty. The university was located in the city
center (Avenida Cordaba & Reconquista). There are tons of clubs, so for the ones who like to
go out like that it must be heaven. For the ones who like to go to bars to just have a drink, a
laugh, a nice conversation, and play some pool, there are a lot of bars in Buenos Aires as well.
To people who mostly do sports and like to be outdoors (like me) I’d have the advice to choose
another city. Buenos Aires is far from ideal to do outdoor sports/things. I brought my
mountain bike with me so I could continue training there, but that didn’t work out the way I
expected. There is one big ecological reserve, but cycling there faster than 10km/h is
forbidden. There are guards near the exits that keep an eye on you if you go there. Cycling in
the city is not ideal either. The difference with Tilburg is pretty clear: Tilburg is small, easy to
get out, and clean. Buenos Aires is huge, impossible to get out, and fairly dirty. There are
people who say that Buenos Aires is unsafe, but in my 6 months I have been there I have never
felt unsafe. Just don’t go to the poor neighborhoods and you’ll be fine.
TOPIC: Academics
Which courses did you take and why? Which courses would you recommend? What did the courses
add to your program at Tilburg University? How does the university compare to Tilburg University
concerning the level of the courses, use of extra material, level of English, workload, etc.? Overall,
were you happy with your academic achievements during your exchange? Please describe the
campus of your host university.
I took 4 courses at the Universidad del CEMA: Leadership, Economic International Relations,
International Latin-American Relations, and Comperative Political Systems. I took all courses
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because I thought they would be interesting. The first two I would recommend, the 3 course
was okay, and the last course was horrible. UCEMA is a very small university and the classes
are extremely small. Sometimes I had classes with just two other students. The maximum of
people I have had clases with must be somewhere around 25/30. The level of the courses is
pretty low and the workload is low as well. I’m happy to have obtained another 30 ECTS, but
don’t feel like I’ve learned a lot on the academic level.
Most teachers are easy with exchange students, so with doing fairly little you can get good
grades. The Spanish for me wasn’t a problem, but it helps having lived in Spain for a period of
time.
TOPIC: Social life
Which social activities organized by the university or students? Did you have contact with local
students? Did you have contact with other exchange students? How did you get along with the local
students and other exchange students? Did you travel to other places/countries during your exchange?
The university sometimes organized a futbol tournament. There is an association for exchange
students in Buenos Aires (BAIS) that organize a lot of different activities. The university had a
Facebook group with all the exchange students and sometimes posted some activities
organized by BAIS. Contact with local students was just at the university and contact with
other exchange students as well. I lived in a house with a lot of people from all over the world,
so I always did stuff with them. All students are very nice and open. I did travel, the first trip I
went to the north of Argentina (Humahuaca, Purmamarca, Tilcara, Salta, Jujuy) and the second
trip went cycling from Bariloche to Ushuaia, for a big part through Chili.
TOPIC: Living costs
How did you finance your exchange period, apart from the grant you received from Tilburg University?
What were your living expenses abroad like compared to Tilburg? What did you spend most of your
money on? What would you advice future students to spend their money on? Please outline your
approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange: housing, food, textbooks, etc.
Very important before coming to Argentina is to bring cash (euro’s or US dollars). Sufficient
cash for the whole exchange if you can. Argentina is a bit of a strange country, but the
government doesn’t allow its citizens to get euro’s or US dollars. This means that there is a
black market, where people buy your euro’s or dollars for a fairly high price (in Venezuela as
well). If you do this, everything will be a whole lot cheaper. I worked before going on exchange,
had parents that helped me where needed and got my stufi + ‘OV vergoeding’.
Because of budget cuts Tilburg University doesn’t give out grants anymore, so don’t count on
that. If you exchange money on the black market, Argentina is cheap. If you withdraw money
from banks Argentina is fairly expensive. The inflation rates in Argentina are crazy, so don’t be
surprised if the prices in the supermarket rise by a few pesos during your exchange period.
Just spend your money on things you want to spend it on, but I think it’s a bit stupid spending
it on alcohol. Rather spend it on a few days more of traveling.
My monthly budget:
Housing: 210 euro’s
Food/drinks etc.: 220 euro’s
Textbooks: 0
Traveling: a lot
TOPIC: Culture
Did you experience culture shock while on exchange? How would you compare your host culture to
your own culture? What did you learn about your own culture while on exchange? What was different
about your host culture than you expected? What did you like and not like about your host culture? Do
you feel you learned a lot about your host culture, and if not, what would you like to learn more? How
would you describe your host countries culture? If you travelled to other cities/countries during your
exchange, were they different than your host city/country, and how?
Although Argentina is seen as fairly European type country compared to other countries in
Latin America, there are clear difference with Europe and the Netherlands. The first thing I
noticed and had a bit of problems with was the chaos. Cars ride around like crazy, there is
garbage in the streets and the difference between the poor and the rich is pretty clear.
However, this is tipical for Buenos Aires. When you travel outside the ‘Capital Federal’, things
and people become more relaxed.
TOPIC: Personal development
What did you learn from the people you met during your exchange? Would you do things differently if
you had the chance, and what would you do differently? What was your best experience, and what
was your worst experience? What will you remember for ever about your exchange period? What was
the most important lesson you learned about yourself during your exchange period?
I lived in a house with a lot of nacionalities and we all spoke Spanish the whole time. It was
great to meet different people. I haven't come across a single Dutch person during my whole
exchange period, so it was great to not have to speak Dutch for half a year. I don't think I
would do anything differently. I am glad with the experience I have had.
TOPIC: Tips for future students
Would you recommend an exchange period? Would you recommend your host university? What
should prospective students bring with them/leave behind? What preparation is required for going on
exchange to this destination? Was there anything you should have done in preparation that you didn’t
do?
Do things you want to do, and don’t just follow the crowd. Also just enjoy as much as you can.
Cause although it might be hard sometimes when you miss your family/friends/etc., the
moment when you are back in the Netherlands you will start to miss it.
The people at my host university where very nice, but the academic level of the university
compared to that of Tilburg University was pretty low. For the academic experience, the
university wasn’t such a big success, but because of the university I had a lot of spare time
that I could spend traveling and getting to know the city.
TOPIC: A picture is worth a thousand words
If you took any pictures or made any videos that you would like to share with future exchange
students, please include them (or e-mail them separately). Pictures that show your daily life or
symbolize your exchange period are especially interesting for future exchange students.
Although this picture has not necessarily anything to do with the academic side of an
exchange, it simbolizes the best experience I have had during my exchange. After my
exchange I started a bike ride to collect money for a good cause, ‘Stichting de Zevenhoek’.
Ushuaia was my final destination.