A Student’s Guide To Study Abroad SA2105 Argentina

User Manual: SA2105

Open the PDF directly: View PDF .
Page Count: 34

Download
Open PDF In Browser	View PDF

A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO STUDY
ABROAD IN ARGENTINA
Prepared by the Center for Global Education
CONTENTS
Section 1: Nuts and Bolts
1.1 Contact Information & Emergency Contact Information
1.2 Program Participant List
1.3 Term Calendar
1.4 Passport & Visas
1.5 International Student Identity Card
1.6 Travel Dates/Group Arrival
1.7 Register to Vote
1.8 Orientation
1.9 What to Bring
Section 2: Studying & Living Abroad
2.1 Academics Abroad
2.2 Money and Banking
2.3 Housing and Meals Abroad
2.4 Service Abroad
2.5 Email Access
2.6 Cell Phones and Communications Home
2.7 Travel Tips
Section 3: All About Culture
3.1 Experiential Learning: What it’s all about
3.2 Adjusting to a New Culture
3.3 Culture Learning: Customs and Values
Section 4: Health and Safety
4.1 Safety Abroad: A Framework
4.2 Health Care and Insurance
4.3 Women’s Issues Abroad
4.4 HIV
4.5 Drugs
4.6 Traffic
4.7 Politics
4.8 Voting by Absentee Ballot
Section 5: Coming Back
5.1 Registration & Housing
5.2 Reentry and Readjustment
Appendix 1:

Using your HWS student insurance plan

SECTION 1: Nuts and Bolts
1.1 CONTACT INFORMATION
FACULTY DIRECTOR CONTACT
Professor Scott McKinney
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Economics Department, Stern Hall
Geneva, NY 14456
Tel: (315) 781-3424
Email: mckinney@hws.edu
You will be able to reach Professor McKinney by email for routine communication and you will be provided
with a telephone number for your home-stay family for regular contact purposes about one week before
departure.
A cell phone number for Professor McKinney in Argentina will be provided to you via email as soon as this
number is assigned a few days before your departure. This number will be available 24-hours, 7 days a week
for emergencies or during regular working hours during the week for routine matters.
Professor McKinney’s cell number in Argentina: 011 (54) xxxxxxxxxxx

HOME INSTITUTION CONTACTS
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
EMERGENCY NUMBER AFTER HOURS/WEEKENDS: 315-781-3333
Thomas D’Agostino, Director
Trinity Hall, 3rd Floor
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Geneva, New York 14456
315-781-3307 (tel)
315-781-3023 (fax)
e-mail: tdagostino@hws.edu
Contact for: Emergencies and other critical issues
Amy S. Teel, Programs Operations Manager
(same address, tel, fax)
e-mail: teel@hws.edu
Contact for: Program details, flight information, etc.
Doug Reilly, Programming Coordinator
(same address, phone and fax)
e-mail: dreilly@hws.edu
Contact for: Orientation questions, return issues, SIIF grants, the Aleph, etc.
Sharon Walsh, Short Term Programs Coordinator
(same address, phone and fax)

2

e-mail: walsh@hws.edu
Contact for: Info on short-term/summer programs
Sue Perry, Office Support Specialist
(same address, phone and fax)
e-mail: cgestaff@hws.edu
Contact for: Paperwork, general inquiries

ADDRESS, PHONES AND FAX OF AFFILIATE HOST INSTITUTION
Samiah Hassan, Coordinator of International Programs or
Amparo Argerich, Coordinator of International Programs
Centro de Español como Lengua Extranjera (CELE)
Departamento de Inglés
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
Mendoza - Argentina
Office 54 261 4135000 (ext. 2206)
Mobile 54 261 155457542
hassan.samiah@gmail.com
amparoargerich@arlinkbbt.com.ar

1.2 PROGRAM PARTICIPANT LIST
NAME
Arsenault,Sydney
Ayer,Katrin
Burke,Mary Kathleen
Harris,Sage
Hill,Benjamin Douglas
Hurwitz,Samantha
Johnson,Quincey
Littleton,Amelia
Luborsky,Rebecca
Mertens,Liv
Mills,Hannah
Quinlan,Conor Frederick
Stiefvater,Caroline
Tarika,Christopher Clayton
Tibbetts,India
Ware,Alison
Ware,Patrick
Wasserbauer,Harrison

EMAIL
SA2105@hws.edu
KA0685@hws.edu
MB0500@hws.edu
SH7509@hws.edu
BH1369@hws.edu
SH9056@hws.edu
QJ2299@hws.edu
AL1356@hws.edu
RL2310@hws.edu
LM2510@hws.edu
HM1519@hws.edu
CQ9925@hws.edu
CS1731@hws.edu
CT0353@hws.edu
IT9029@hws.edu
AW0985@hws.edu
PW1462@hws.edu
HW2705@hws.edu

3

1.3 TERM CALENDAR
Fall 2014
23 August
24 August
25-26 August
27 August
21-27 Sept**
11-19 October
31 Oct-3 Nov**
15-23 Nov**
28-30 Nov
5-7 December
12 December
13 December

Depart U.S.
Arrive Mendoza – transported to homestays
Orientation to Mendoza, CELE, Argentine culture
Classes begin
Excursion to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls**
Spring break – free to travel independently or explore Mendoza on own
Excursion to Santiago**
Excursion to Patagonia**
Free Weekend
Free Weekend
Despedida/program wrap up
Group flight departs Mendoza

Excursion dates marked** are TENTATIVE and subject to change!!
Generally you will have classes Monday-Thursday with day-trips, special lectures, and other events planned
on Friday. We have planned two ‘free weekends’ (i.e. three-day weekends) when there will not be any
required activities at all and which you may use as you wish.
The dates listed above for the three major excursions are the dates that our group has requested. However,
Argentines plan very differently than Americans and there are many factors that could cause our projected
schedule to change. If family or friends plan to visit you in Argentina, or if you are planning your own
personal travel, we ask that you do not lock in ANYTHING that is non-changeable until we receive firm
confirmation of dates shortly after the group arrives in Mendoza. If people must lock in plans earlier, we
advise them to arrive on 13 December and travel with you when the program ends and you are free.

1.4 PASSPORTS, RECIPROCITY ENTRY FEES AND “PERMISSION TO
TRAVEL TO ARGENTINA”
By now, you should have your passport firmly in hand. Be sure to keep your acceptance letter to the program
with it as you might need to show this when clearing customs and immigration in Argentina. U.S. citizens
will not require visa to enter the country although you will have some required ‘immigration’ requirements
when you arrive in Argentina and will be briefed on these. Unfortunately, in lieu of a visa, U.S. citizens
entering Argentina must now pay a ‘reciprocity’ entry fee of $160, PAID IN ADVANCE of entering the
country. If you do not pay the fee (online by credit card), print the receipt and bring it with you to Argentina,
you may be denied entry to the country. In fact, the airlines could even refuse to board you if they think the
Argentine authorities will turn you away. So, please go to
https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes/
Click on “sign up” (under login) and follow instructions to enter information about your name, date of birth,
passport information etc and then enter financial info for payment. Once you have paid this by debit/credit
card, print FOUR copies of the receipt. You will want to give one copy to your parents to hold for you (just
in case). You will want to send one to Professor McKinney and Amy Teel via email as a backup. You will
bring the other two with you to Argentina. Remember that you are entering Argentina TWICE – first on
initial arrival and then again following the group excursion to Chile. So you will want a copy of your receipt
for the reciprocity fee to show each time you enter the country. (You pay the fee once and it is good for 10
years, no matter how often you go and come back).
In addition to this, if you are under 25 years of age is a very important document that you may need to show
when entering the country and/or after arrival is written permission from your parents to travel to Argentina.

4

Please see the template for this document at the very end of this handbook. You MUST have this
prepared by your parents and signed in front of a notary public and then have the notary’s signature
verified by the country clerk. After this document is prepared keep it safely with your passport and
your reciprocity payment receipts!!!!
One recommendation we have remains consistent and universal: make copies of your passport’s
identification page (with the photo on it), any pages with entry stamps, your visa if you are not a U.S.
citizen, your parent permission to travel letter and your acceptance letter. Put these copies in various
locations. Leave one at home with your parents. Put them in different pieces of luggage/locations. Here’s
why: if you lose your passport, having a copy of it will make getting a new one much, much easier.

1.5 POWER OF ATTORNEY/MEDICAL RELEASE
Sometimes, after students have departed the U.S., important issues arise that require legal signatures or
procedures. An example is a student loan or financial aid document that requires a student signature – but
you will be gone and generally a fax or photocopy is not considered ‘legal’ in lieu of an original signature.
We recommend that you consider signing Power of Attorney over to your parent(s) to cover such eventuality.
Since the form and process varies from state to state, we cannot cover all options here but you can easily find
Power of Attorney information on the internet through search engines like Google.
In a similar vein, we encourage you to prepare and sign a general release giving permission for insurance
companies and medical practitioners to speak with your parents in the case of emergencies and so that they
can help you make medical decisions and/or file claims on your behalf. You can bring a copy of this with
you and leave one with your parent(s). If you are uncomfortable with signing a general release, you can also
sign more limited or specific releases to control or release specific sorts of information. Keep in mind that if
you are over 18, medical providers may refuse to share any information at all about your condition without
such written consent which will limit your parents’ ability to assist you.

1.6 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IDENTITY CARD (ISIC)
You may want to purchase the $25.00 International Student Identity Card (ISIC). This card provides coverage
for a lost passport, baggage delay or loss and other traveler services like cell phone plans. Etc. and entitles you
to student discounts in most countries. This card also provides emergency evacuation and repatriation which
you are required to have. If your medical insurance policy does not include this (you will need to check with
your insurance company) then you should purchase the ISIC card. The ISIC card is also a pre-paid
Mastercard so you can add money to it if you’d like to and use it up to the value on the card. Order the card
online at http://www.myisic.com/.
Finally, if your passport is lost or stolen, you will be eligible for special replacement services which will
expedite the process and pay for a new passport. Be sure to make a photocopy of the card in case you
lose it; the cost of replacing it will be covered by ISIC as long as you have the ID number and issue
date from the card, although you will need to pay for the new card up front and put in a claim for
reimbursement. Some students have reported that they were able to change currency with no fee when they
showed their ISIC card, so do ask about this when changing money.

1.7 TRAVEL DATES/GROUP ARRIVAL
You are not required to take the group flight but this is the only flight for which we have/will arrange airport
‘meet and greet’ service and for which we have arranged complimentary transportation from the Mendoza
airport to your host family. Since you are all originating from different cities, if you need a connecting flight
to JFK you must purchase that on your own OR ask Baker Travel to sell you the connecting flight. Whether
you are arriving to JFK on a connecting flight OR driving to the airport that day, please plan to be at the
airport AT LEAST three to four hours before the scheduled departure. Build in time for your connection to

5

be late or for traffic delays. International carriers reserve the right to refuse you boarding privileges if you are
not at the airport, checked in, through security, and at the gate two hours before departure. Our group will
meet at the gate. Wear something that says “HWS” so your fellow students will recognize you. If there is an
unexpected delay (an accident on the way to the airport, cancellation of your connecting flight, etc) you
MUST call Baker Travel 1-607-272-2585 before 2 pm on 23 Aug so they do not cancel your ticket (at a full
financial loss). See details on the next page:
Fall 2014 group flight option
23 AUG Aerolineas Argentinas AR 1301 depart NY JFK 4:10 PM
24 AUG Arrives
Buenos Aires
4:25 AM
Connect to
24 AUG Aerolineas Argentinas AR 2464 depart Buenos Aires 7:25 AM
Arrives
Mendoza
9:25 AM

13 DEC Aerolineas Argentinas AR 2465 depart Mendoza 7:30 PM
Arrives
Buenos Aires
9:02 PM
Connect to
13 DEC Aerolineas Argentinas AR 1300 depart Buenos Aires 11:00 PM
14 DEC 2014
Arrives
New York, JFK
8:05 AM

You have been emailed the above group flight option available through Bev Baker at Baker Travel
bb@bakertravel.net. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOOKING IT DIRECTLY!

GENERAL TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS
You may want to contact your local travel agent about other travel information, especially if you are staying in
your host country after the end of the program. The CGE’s agency is Baker Travel but also in Geneva,
Destinations Travel at 315-789-4469 (Cynthia Cannon) or Jeff’s Travel Port at 315-781-0265 are convenient.

1.8 VOTING FROM ABROAD DURING ELECTION YEARS
If you are not already registered as a voter in your home state (or in Geneva, NY), you can register before you
leave the U.S. so that you are able to vote by absentee ballot while abroad. Most states now offer voter
registration at the local Department of Motor Vehicles. You can register EVEN if you can’t drive! Please see
section 4.8 of this guide for more information on obtaining an absentee ballot once you are a registered voter.

1.9 ORIENTATION
Orientation will begin almost immediately upon your arrival in Mendoza and will continue for the first few
days. Be prepared, however, for the reality that no one feels truly “oriented” for several weeks or sometimes
several months. Be patient, be flexible, and give yourself time to adjust to a new culture, new cuisine, new
language, new routine, new family, new expectations and living standards. During the orientation period, you
will learn what is expected of you in your home stay, how to get around the city, safety tips, and what the
academic schedule and requirements will be.
Your host family will come to meet you when you arrive in Mendoza and will do their best to make you feel
welcome and at home. Expect that you’ll have some misunderstandings and remember that they cannot read
your mind; it’s most appropriate to ask questions or politely express your needs or fears. You will also find
the staff at CELE very helpful should you have any concerns about your home stay. They can help you
navigate differences in culture or expectations or, should there truly be a mismatch, they can work with you
to resolve it or change the placement if necessary.

6

Make time to sleep and eat properly as maintaining your health is a key factor in making a successful
adjustment. Finally, if you are feeling overwhelmed or in general distress, ASK FOR HELP from Professor
McKinney or the staff at CELE.

1.10 WHAT TO BRING
CLIMATE
Mendoza is located at the foot of the Andes Mountains. These mountains greatly influence the weather and
climate of this wine-growing region. The weather in Mendoza is very mild and dry. There is more rainfall in
the winter months. The overall climate of Mendoza is quite similar to the climate in California.
The fresh air of the Andes Mountains is very pleasant but it is important to realize that there are large
differences in altitudes and temperatures in Mendoza. Because of these variations warm clothes are
recommended any time you visit this region.
Average Mendoza Temperatures
Month High °F Low °F High °C Low °C
Jan
90
64
32
18
Feb
87
62
31
17
Mar
81
57
27
14
Apr
74
50
23
10
May
66
42
19
6
Jun
60
35
16
2
Jul
59
35
15
2
Aug
65
38
18
3
Sep
70
43
21
6
Oct
77
51
25
11
Nov
84
57
29
14
Dec
88
63
31
17

PACKING
How much to pack is our concern here, or rather: How little to pack! The rule of thumb is: pack light. Most
students abroad do more walking than they do in several years in the United States, and often you are carrying
your luggage, or a subset of it, around with you. Students who pack three suitcases are often sorry for it.
There are several ideas out there about how not to overpack:
1. Pack up what you think you’ll need, and walk around the block with it. Chances are you will
decide on taking about half of that.
2. Or, trust the experience behind the above piece of advice, put what you planned to take abroad
on your bed, and then remove half of it.

WHAT TO BRING
Each individual will have her or his own tastes and habits, but the following is a suggested list of items to
include, keeping in mind that the climate will vary widely during the period you are away:
Light windbreaker
Lined Raincoat (ideally with a removable lining for warmer weather)
Sweatshirt, warm sweater or fleece for the cooler weather (1)
Skirts, dress pants for formal events or clubs for women (3)

7

Jeans/trousers (khakis & Dockers are a great idea) (2)
Dressier sweater or pullover
Collared Shirts/blouses (3-4)
T-shirts (5-6)
Underwear/socks (7)
Shorts (not too short or low-hung) (2)
Sturdy walking shoes (most important item)
Hiking shoes/boots
One pair of dressier shoes
Sneakers/athletic shoes
Sleep wear and slippers (important!- you should not walk barefoot in the house!)
Travel alarm clock (battery operated)
Enough prescription medication for the term with your doctor’s prescription
Nasal moisturizer such as Simply Saline (it can feel very dry in Mendoza, especially at first)
An extra pair of glasses or contacts
Camera and film or extra memory card
Laptop computer (optional but recommended, see below)
Money belt or pouch to wear under your clothes
Cosmetics, toothbrush, etc. (if you have brand favorites, bring them)
Personal toilet items including shaving kit, etc. for men, sanitary items for women
The essentials--passport and permit documents, traveler’s checks, airline ticket, health insurance and
ISIC card (photocopies of these), Credit/debit cards
Spanish/English dictionary
This handbook (Please have handy on carry on; if your flight is delayed, you’ll need the
information in this handbook.)
Required text books per Professor(s) McKinney
Guidebooks to Argentina – We recommend “Lonely Planet” as a travel guide and “Culture
Shock! Argentina” as a guide to customs and etiquette

WHAT NOT TO BRING
More luggage than you can carry on your own
Expensive jewelry: silver is safer than gold.
Expensive electronics that you are afraid will be stolen (petty theft is the most common crime
affecting students abroad.)
Other things to keep in mind:
Point 1: Most other countries have stores! Most other countries have stores that sell things like toothpaste
and socks. The brands might be unfamiliar to you, but they will get the job done. Also, you’re going to want
to do some shopping abroad for souvenirs, art, clothes, etc…so leave some empty space in your luggage.
You should consult the fees charged by the airlines for extra luggage/weight.
Point 2: Bring a day pack large enough for a weekend away but not so large you break your back. You’ll
need a day pack to get your books/things back and forth around the city, and a 4000 cubic inch frame
backpack is quite inconvenient for this! A lot of people forget this basic necessity. (If you do, see point 1!)
Point 3: Choose the form of your luggage carefully. Many students find the internal frame backpacks
efficient for getting around since they can be worn instead of being dragged or wheeled (not nice on
cobblestones or dirt roads!) But there are options for all kinds of people and all kinds of travel. You know
what you like best…we really just want you to bring less.

8

Point 4: Bring some nice clothes. Check with the faculty director, a guidebook, or students, and they’ll all
likely tell you U.S. Americans are some of the most informally dressed folks around. That means that for
most students going abroad, you’ll be diving into a more formal culture with a more formal standard of attire.
As they say, “Como te ven, te tratan” (“How they see you, they treat you”). This is as true for informal
gatherings with a family as it is for going out to clubs or on more formal occasions. Shorts are great for hot
weather, but (in Europe and Latin America, for example) are reserved for sport and certainly not for visiting
cathedrals! In general, bring at least some dressy clothes with you. It never hurts to look “good”—just
remember that this is culturally defined. You will need dress shoes.

PRESCRIPTIONS
If you have any medication you must take while you are abroad, please be sure that you have enough for the
entire time you are away as it may be difficult to have prescriptions filled. Be sure to bring the written
prescription (no photocopies) and a signed statement from your doctor if you have a particular medical
requirement. Also, please notify the Center for Global Education / Office of Terms Abroad before departure
if you haven’t done so already. Immigration authorities may question medications in your possession and you
should have proper documentation. Finally, it would be advisable to verify that a particular drug is not
restricted in the host country (or others that you may plan to visit). Some countries ban certain drugs, even
when prescribed by a doctor (for example, the drug Ritalin cannot be legally brought into some countries).
The best advice is to be prepared and check either through your personal physician or through official
government sources (such as the US State Department www.state.gov/travel/ or the Center for Disease
Control: www.cdc.gov/travel/

LAPTOPS AND ELECTRONICS
The utility of having a laptop computer varies from program to program, although many students find it
useful to have one. In Argentina, it is very likely that you may NOT have internet access in your host family
situation, but there are internet cafes literally everywhere and you will undoubtedly find these convenient
when you wish to use email. Even without internet access at home, you may find your laptop useful for
keeping your journal and for writing your papers. You can easily carry it along to an internet café or to the
University when you need to print documents or access the internet but in the meantime you’ll be able to do
your school work at your own convenience. Even if you bring your laptop, do not forget to bring a USB
flash drive that you can use to carry your files (for example, to email your paper from a cybercafé or the
computer room at the university when necessary).
Mendoza operates on 220 volts/50 cycles, unlike the US, which operates on 120 volts. Most laptops/tablets
are dual voltage so they will work in Argentina. These only need a plug adapter for Argentina to allow you to
plug them in.
Please note that petty theft is the most common crime affecting travelers. Do not bring anything without first
considering the impact of it getting stolen, or the reality of having to worry about the safety of these
possessions all the time.
Two general rules for all electronics: 1) bring copies of your receipts. If your equipment looks new, upon
return to the U.S., you may be asked to pay customs duties if you don’t have a receipt to prove that you didn’t
purchase it abroad; 2) we recommend you investigate insurance coverage for your electronic devices and
other expensive items. They might be covered by parents’ homeowners’ insurance policies or as a separate
rider.

9

SPORTS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT
Mendoza is a center for adventure tourism, so if you are interested in being physically active while there, you
should have no problem finding opportunities. Having said that, keep in mind that you will be engaging in
lots of activities while there, and you don’t necessarily need your own equipment. Planning on skiing Las
Leñas? Do you really need your own equipment, or could you rent? On the other hand, small and light
equipment, like a tennis racquet, could be very useful. Physical activities are wonderful ways for meeting
locals. Ditto for musical instruments. You might have to forfeit some space to bring along a guitar, but
music can be a wonderful way to get to know your host family better.

JOURNALS
Have you thought about keeping a journal abroad? Many students write journals as a way of capturing and reflecting
upon their experiences, even though some may have never kept a “diary” before. A journal (or diary) is a
book of dated entries. The author can record experiences, dialogues, feelings, dreams, describe sights, make
lists, take notes, whatever the writer wants to leave as documentation of his or her passage through time.
Journals are tools for recording and interpreting the process of our lives.
Why should you keep a journal? Because a journal…
is a keepsake that will record memories that you’d otherwise forget.
is a keepsake that will record the person you are now—and how you’ll change abroad.
is a way to interpret what you’re seeing/experiencing.
gives you something to do on long plane/bus/train rides or alone in cafes.
helps you become a better writer.
is a good remedy for homesickness.
is a space where you can express yourself with total freedom.
is a powerful tool of exploration and reflection.
For more about keeping journals, download the CGE’s Writing to Explore Journal Handbook at
http://www.hws.edu/academics/global/pdf/journal_writers.pdf

DON’T BOTHER BRINGING…
Expectations: “Don’t expect, accept,” is a good attitude for students crossing cultures to have. How you set

your expectations now will impact how positive of an experience you will have abroad. This means that you
can do a lot now to help ensure you will get the most out of your program.

How you set your expectations now will impact how positive of an
experience you will have abroad.
Simply put, examine your expectations and be realistic. You are going to a different country. Expect that
things will be different. You have no idea how many things will differ or in what ways, and of course you may
well be surprised at how many things are similar. But for now expect that everything will be different.
Believe it or not, notions of the “right way of doing things” are entirely cultural and relative. Efficiency,
manners, punctuality, customer service and “the rules” do not mean the same thing in different countries.
Germans might be meticulously punctual. Italians might operate under a different conception of time (and
being “on-time”.) The point here is not to draw national stereotypes but to understand that different
countries organize things differently, and not all of them work well from the U.S. American’s point of view.
So don’t expect people in your host country to define these terms in the same way as you do. Expect to run

10

into bureaucracy, but do look at how the people around you react to these things, and follow their lead. If
they’re not throwing a temper tantrum and lecturing the mail clerk/waiter/train conductor, then neither
should you.
You’d be surprised how ingrained our expectations are. We don’t see them as culturally-determined; rather,
we see them as part of “the right way of doing things.” So you will get frustrated. Expect that too. But keep
telling yourself that things are different, and remember that it’s not the local people’s duty to meet your
expectations—it’s your duty to adjust yours to what is considered right and reasonable locally. “Don’t expect,
accept.”

SECTION 2: Studying and Living Abroad
2.1 ACADEMICS ABROAD
There is much to learn outside of the classroom. Nevertheless, study abroad is also fundamentally an
academic endeavor. No matter what your goals and expectations might be, the Colleges also have expectations
of you. These include the expectation that you will take all of your academics abroad seriously and that you
will come prepared, meet deadlines, read assignments, write papers or exams with care, etc. Having said that,
as study abroad programs are uniquely well-suited to non-traditional learning (i.e. experiential learning such as
field-trips, internships, or field research), you will likely find that you have never had so much “fun” working
so hard. The key, however, is to realize that if the fun comes at the expense of learning, you will likely be very
dissatisfied with the final results. The sections that follow are designed to answer the most commonly asked
questions about academics and study abroad.

COURSES

All of you will be taking four courses in Mendoza.
Fall 2014
History and Culture of Argentina (1 credit)
This course is taught in English and will provide an overview of Argentine history and culture through units
focused on themes such as music, economics, politics, literature and film. In addition to the readings and
presentations by a variety of guest speakers, the course will include a number of excursions to relevant local
sites (museums, vineyards, and local businesses) as well as longer program excursions that may include
Patagonia and Iguazu Falls/Misiones.
Spanish Language (1 credit) – at the appropriate level
Parallel Economies (Econ/IR 145/345) (1 credit)
This course explores the economic history of Argentina and Chile, beginning with Peron (1945-54) in
Argentina and Allende (1970-73) in Chile. Peron altered the fundamental economic structure of Argentina
from one based on the agricultural exports from large haciendas to one beginning the process of
industrialization in the context of populist policies. Despite periods of military government and neoliberalism,
the pattern has reappeared in the present century. In Chile, Allende’s regime took the country down the road
toward socialism, with disastrous consequences. The military regime and civilian regimes that follow have
emphasized free trade and globalization. The present century has seen the return of Peronist policies in
Argentina and the continuation of globalization in Chile despite some left-leaning governments.
Economic Growth and Water (Econ/ES 150/350) (1 credit)
This course will explore the resource demands of economic growth, particularly the relationship of economic
activity on water demand. The region around Mendoza is arid, lying in a rain shadow, yet is famous for its

11

grapes and wine. Brazil is famous as the home of the Amazon River and relies heavily on hydroelectric power,
but can suffer from power shortages during droughts that slow economic activity. We will study the issues of
how water availability influences economic development, how water usage is controlled, and how water
shortages and glacier melting affect present day life.
Optional Activity—Community Service. For students who are interested, community service opportunities
can be arranged by CELE and the resident director.
Your classes will most likely meet on a Monday through Thursday schedule with Spanish language classes
held all mornings. The other courses will be scheduled once you are in Mendoza.
In the first days that you are in Mendoza you will be given a placement exam in Spanish. Using this, the staff
at CELE will create Spanish classes suited to your individual levels. CELE will be using the same textbooks
as you would be using at HWS, so you will cover the same material that you would cover at HWS. However,
given your immersion in a Spanish-speaking country you should make far more progress in Spanish while in
Argentina.
The History and Culture of Argentina course will be taught in English by local professors affiliated with our
host institution. The Professors are Argentines but have experience teaching U.S. university students. You
should nevertheless expect that there will be differences in teaching styles and methods and be prepared to
ask questions and to make reasonable adjustments.

GRADES AND CREDITS

If you are studying on any HWS program at any destination, you will be required to carry a full course-load
and you will receive letter grades for your work which WILL be computed into your HWS grade point
average and will be posted on your permanent transcript. Students will not be permitted to exceed a
standard course load except in extraordinary cases as determined by a student’s dean’s office,
academic advisor, and the Center for Global Education.
As on the home campus, you may request to take any course OUTSIDE your major or minor on a
Credit/No credit basis so long as you do so no later than two-thirds of the way into your course term
abroad. Note that the deadlines for students abroad for exercising CR/NC are based on the “host”
program’s calendar, not on the HWS calendar. You must contact the HWS Registrar’s office no later
than two-thirds through your term abroad if you wish to take a course CR/NC. Think hard before
doing this for more than one class, however. It may well be that future graduate programs and
employers will think worse of a semester of CR/NC than one poor grade in something really outside
your element.

WITHDRAWAL FROM A PROGRAM

A student participating in an HWS off-campus program who withdraws from that program after arrival at the
program site may not return to campus to take classes that semester except under extraordinary
circumstances, as determined by the student’s dean’s office, the Center for Global Education and the Vice
President for Student Affairs.
ACADEMIC CULTURE AND STANDARDS
As is the case on campus, there is no single “standard” or classroom culture abroad; each professor will run
his/her own classroom his/her own way and your job, as the student, is to adapt to his/her expectations and
teaching style. This having been said, there are some general statements that can be applied to most
classroom settings outside the United States. Here are some of the most prevalent and most pressing that are
likely to affect the classroom “culture” you will experience and to which you must adapt if you will have any
professors from the host country.

12

1) Learning is YOUR responsibility, not your professor’s. It is much less common abroad for a faculty
member to seek you out if your work is deficient, your attendance is unsatisfactory or your
understanding of content inadequate. The instructors abroad expect that you will ask for help if you
need it – and if you don’t then you should be prepared for the consequences.
2) Assessment (i.e. graded papers or exams) is less frequent and therefore each grade counts – a lot. In
the U.S., we’re accustomed to frequent assessment and feedback. You normally receive a paper back
with lots of comments. A first exam is usually returned before the second exam is given. This is
NOT always true abroad. If you feel uncertain about how you are doing, make a point of sitting
down with the professor to ask where you stand. For some classes the ONLY assessment may be in
the form of a final paper or exam. Be sure you are prepared!
3) Unlike here where assigned readings are often discussed in class, faculty abroad frequently provide
students with a list of required readings and also some supplemental “recommended” readings to
further illuminate some of the themes emerging in class. However, these readings may never be
discussed explicitly nor are you assigned homework designed to demonstrate your understanding of
the readings. Be forewarned: whether or not readings are discussed, if they are assigned they are fair
game for exams. You are expected to do the readings, to understand them and to incorporate them
into your thinking about a particular topic. If you feel that you’re not “getting” something, ask
questions.
4) Grading standards may vary from those you’ve experienced in the U.S. In some countries, an “A” is
reserved for only the most outstanding or original work with “B”s or “C”s being more of the norm
for students who have clearly learned the material but aren’t going the extra mile. Similarly, you may
find that you are rewarded or penalized for different skills than are normally measured here. Some
cultures place a higher premium than others on rote memorization, others want you to think
independently, and in others you might be expected to draw upon a basic factual foundation that is
assumed rather than explicitly taught. If you aren’t certain what a professor expects of you or what
you can expect from him or her, ask for clarification. The Center for Global Education and its staff
CANNOT change a grade once it’s been assigned nor intervene in its determination.
5) Very important: In most societies, classrooms are run more formally than in the U.S. (there are a
handful of exceptions) and the division between student and professor is more marked. Also, in
Latin American universities, students should not attend class dressed in shorts, sandals, and clothing
that could easily be read as going to the gym / beach. Unless/until you are told otherwise, here are a
few basic “don’ts” about classroom etiquette:
 Don’t eat or drink in class.
 Don’t dress more casually than is acceptable for the culture.
 Don’t shout out an answer without being called upon, unless the professor has invited you to do
so..
 Do not interrupt another student while s/he is talking, even if you disagree.
 Don’t put your feet up on desks or other chairs.
 Don’t address your professors by their first names without being invited to do so (and in
Argentina, be sensitive to the use of “vos” and “usted” in the classroom).
 Don’t enter a faculty member’s classroom or office (other than for the scheduled class time)
without knocking first.
 Don’t forget to turn off cell phones.
 Don’t challenge a professor’s grade or assignment. (You can and should ask for an explanation
of how a grade was determined and what you can do to improve your performance.)
 Don’t assume that “dissenting” or original opinions are equally rewarded on exams and papers.
Find out whether you are free to develop your own ideas or if you must demonstrate
understanding and ability to apply the faculty member’s own ideas or themes.

13

STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

Both the law and the custom abroad with regard to accommodation for special student needs are different
than the law and custom here. If you have a physical or learning difference that requires accommodation, you
should: 1) disclose this prior to embarking on the program abroad to find out about the accommodation that
is available and how to gain access and 2) be prepared to find arrangements more ad hoc than they would be
here on campus. If you are attending a program led by an HWS member, you can normally expect to receive
similar accommodations as you would here for his/her particular class(es) (such as extended time on exams
or access to a note-taker, etc.) but may not receive the same accommodation from host country faculty unless
this is arranged and agreed to well in advance.

2.2 MONEY AND BANKING
The most important general advice we have regarding money is to make sure you can access money in
several different forms. That way, if for some reason your debit card doesn’t work at a particular ATM, you
can use a credit card or traveler’s checks or cash. Cash may be used more frequently than it is in the US, so
you may need to think ahead about expenses before just heading out for the night with only a credit card or
debit card.
We recommend that you carry a credit card as a source of emergency cash and credit. Visa and Mastercard are
the most widely used. You may also use your ATM card or Visa/MC debit card if it has the Cirrus, NYCE or
Plus logos--don’t forget that you will need your PIN number.
Do your homework. Here are some things you’re likely to need to learn about each way to access money:

CREDIT CARDS

Credit cards are useful in many countries now, and one of the advantages is that by using them, you’ll be
getting a competitive exchange rate. But, if you’re going to be using a credit card abroad, make sure your card
company knows about your trip. It’s possible that they may cancel your card if they see lots of foreign charges
all of a sudden. While you’ve got them on the phone, ask about any fees for using the card abroad for
purchases or cash advances. Also, make sure you have your pin number memorized before you go. This will
enable you to get a cash advance from many ATM machines. NOTE: You can often get a credit card cash
advance inside a bank, though they may wonder why you are not using the machine outside. Just make sure
you have your passport for identification purposes. This process may take a while, but can be a saving grace
in a financial pinch.

DEBIT/ATM CASH CARDS

Make sure your card is on one or both of the big international ATM systems, Cirrus or Plus, by looking at the
back of the card. Make sure you contact your bank to let them know you’ll be abroad and ask about any fees
for using ATMs overseas. In the past, we recommended using Debit/ATM cards as the best way to get your
money abroad. Recently however, a lot of banks have begun levying hefty fees each time a card is used at an
ATM abroad – one student told us of fees of $25 per transaction! We strongly recommend that you ask
about the fees and any ways to have these reduced or waived. If your bank is charging more than $5 per
transaction, considering shopping around and changing your bank. Small banks, credit unions, and savings
and loans tend (but not always) to be less punitive than the large commercials. One the other hand, some of
the biggest, like Citibank or Chase, may have offices in Mendoza and would not charge out of network fees.
So do your homework and then plan accordingly. Wherever you bank, please be aware of your
surroundings when you take out money from an ATM. This is a common place for theft so stay alert.

TRAVELER’S CHECKS

These are used less and less as credit and debit cards become more popular, but they are still useful in a very
limited way. Traveler’s checks have tracking numbers on them that will allow you to easily cancel them and
recoup your losses in case they are lost or stolen. You must keep these tracking numbers separate from the

14

checks and several copies in different locations are recommended. You can sometimes pay establishments
directly with these checks, but most often you must change them at a change office or bank. There is often a
fee (commission) involved in cashing them, expressed as a percentage of the total or a flat fee. We really
recommend these only in an emergency and/or if electronic networks are down for some reason. Please do
not plan to use traveler’s checks as your primary means of money; you will find them cumbersome and – in
some contexts – entirely unusable.

HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED?

Students and families always ask us to estimate the amount of funds that they’ll need for personal spending in
Argentina. This is VERY difficult for us to estimate as “typical” student spending ranges vary so widely
depending upon resources available and personal spending habits. Given the fact that all your basic needs are
provided for and/or should have been pre-budgeted (see meals, housing below) and that the program pays
for any group travel and tourist admission fees, you actually NEED (as opposed to will want) very little
personal spending money. Thus, for most students an extra $1,500 for personal/discretionary spending
should be adequate. This sum should buy you an occasional night out and/or a few extra weekend trips. Be
forewarned, however! If you are a power shopper, expect to jet off to a new city every weekend, sign up for
Adventure Tourism trips on your own, or spend a lot on nightlife and expensive restaurants, you will certainly
spend a lot more. You’ll also need more if you expect to stay on in South America through the winter
holidays. Most students tend to spend however much they have (we seldom hear of students bringing money
back home with them), whether this is $500 or $5,000 or even more. Our best advice is for you to sit down as
a family and decide what you can afford and what you think is reasonable. Given that it is very easy to get
money to you quickly if you underestimate (mom or dad can make a deposit at the ATM in the U.S.; you have
access to the funds within 24 hours), it’s better to bring less and ask for more in a pinch than to re-mortgage
the home up front. Students can get by with as little as US $30-50 per week if their spending habits are frugal.
Once you are in Mendoza, there will be several people who can provide information about the most
inexpensive ways for meals, entertainment, outings, etc. You can also ask advice about these things from
your host family.
One last piece of advice about spending: start slowly. Make your initial purchases slowly and carefully. It is
almost always better to spend less at the start of the program and have more a the end rather than the reverse.

2.3 HOUSING AND MEALS ABROAD
U.S. Americans are used to large living spaces, lots of privacy, endless hot water and access to the telephone.
Most people in the world do not have the same expectations and get by with (sometimes much) smaller
spaces, have less privacy, take very quick showers, often turning off the water between getting wet and rinsing
off, and use the telephone for only very brief communications. Often there are economic and ecological
reasons for these differences.
One of the strongest aspects of the program in Mendoza is the family home stays that are arranged. Keep in
mind that everything will certainly not be as you know it at home. Differences in customs, space allotments,
types of food, etc. will become apparent soon. We have passed along your housing requests to the housing
folks in Mendoza who will do their best to meet your specific needs, but be prepared to try new things as
much as your personal philosophy and diet restrictions allow. After all, what would be the point of
experiencing a new culture if things were exactly as they are at home?! It is usually a nice gesture to bring a
little something from home to share with your home stay family or at least a gift for your host ‘mom’. Note:
At some point in August, we will e-mail you the information regarding your home stay assignment, including
the names of the family members and the address/phone number. You usually get this info only a few days
before your departure for Mendoza.
Remember also that the term “family” is used very broadly with a wide variety of family configurations typical
of an urban setting. There is a very strong possibility that the family will not be of the traditional type (two

15

parents and school age children). Above all, please be flexible with your host family. It is our expectation that
you will respect the customs, and particularly the rules, established by your home stay. Expect to clean up
after yourself. Offer to help your host mother with meal preparation and cleanup. (If she declines this offer
early on, offer again a little later. In most cases your assistance is really appreciated.) A little goodwill and
willingness to interact with people in an amiable fashion goes a long way.
You are covered for a 2/3 meal plan for the entire duration of the program. Breakfast and dinner will be
provided by the host family from Monday to Friday and some meals on weekends; you have been charged
only 2/3 the usual HWS board plan and should plan to bring the 1/3 NOT charged (about $800) with you to
Argentina to cover those other meals. This is above and beyond the $1000-1500 spending money we have
suggested you bring for personal/optional spending but should not be an added burden as you’ve been billed
less than usual.

2.4 SERVICE ABROAD
U.S. Americans live in a service-oriented economy. We expect a certain level of service for our money. Many
other countries have no similar service culture. Store clerks don’t have to be polite and warm. Wait-staff in
most European countries do not make their money from tips and so therefore do not feel the need to give
you a lot of attention or deference. Remember that you expect what is normal, and what is normal for you is
not necessarily normal for the local culture. The good side to this different definition of service is that you
can often stay for as long as you would like at a café and the waiter won’t bother you too often or urge you to
leave. Europeans are clearly okay with the quality of service at cafes and restaurants—they would have a
different system if they were not. So accept it and look to the local people to help you figure out how to get
your check. Tipping (typically 10%) is still appreciated, of course.
One particular characteristic of Argentine restaurants sometimes frustrates Americans: there is usually no free
water. If you want a glass of water, “con gas” or “sin gas,” you will have to pay for it.

2.5 EMAIL ACCESS
Depending on your location, email/internet access may not be as universally available as it is in the U.S.
Don’t expect to be able to log in from home. Don’t expect unlimited access at your school. You may have to
rely on internet cafes. There will be some access at CELE but NOT 24-hour access/7 days a week. You will
often find yourself using internet cafes.
Having said that, when you do have access, be sure to check your HWS email account because that
is how we will be in touch with you. Make sure you clean out your mailbox before you go and dump
new unneeded mail regularly – otherwise it could fill up and you could be unable to receive any new
mail.

2.6 CELL PHONES AND COMMUNICATIONS HOME
Many students and families worry about having easy access to telephone or other easy communication
home. In every case, either at your home stay or in your residence hall, you will be provided with a telephone
number for emergency use and your parents(s)/loved ones can reach you there should a pressing issue
arise. So you do not HAVE to have a cell phone. We have learned that many students feel strongly about
having one, however. PLEASE understand that new cell phone programs and packages literally crop up daily
and there is truly no way that our small staff can monitor these to ensure that we have provided students with
the latest, least expensive and most efficient technology.
Option 1: Wait until you get to your program country and buy a pay-as-you-go cell phone locally with
minutes you can top up as you need to. You may choose instead to buy a phone card that can be used with

16

landline or public pay phones if you don’t need a cell phone. We have found from experience that pay-asyou –go phones and rates are generally much less expensive than buying and bringing from the U.S.
Option 2: Buy a cell phone before you leave home from a provider that has international service (quad band,
digital or satellite phones only. Conventional U.S. cell phones generally don’t work abroad). This will allow
you to have a phone with you as you travel to and from home. However, be aware that this can be an
expensive option unless you primarily use the phone to receive calls (this is free) and make outbound calls
only to local numbers.
Option 3: Students may be able to bring their own phones from home (check with your provider and, again
see if it is one of the types above). However, be aware that your phone could be lost or stolen so you may
not want to take the risk of bringing your own phone.
We recommend that you keep only enough outgoing minutes on the phone for you to call and text-message
your LOCAL friends abroad to arrange logistics and to have an hour of calling home for
EMERGENCIES. In all other cases, have people in the States call you or you may find your cell phone costs
really adding up. For people to call YOU cheaply, we encourage them to download “skype” or “messenger”
onto their computers at home or the office. Both of these are free downloads and only require a
microphone for you to be able to talk – in real time – from computer to computer (if you have internet access)
or from computer to your cell phone. The caller pays only a small amount per minute and if you are using
your cell phone those minutes are free for you to receive.
ONE WORD OF CAUTION about cell phones and computer ‘skyping’ or ‘messageing’: Both here in the
office and in the study abroad field in general, many of us have noticed an increase in the number of U.S.
students abroad who experience prolonged difficult periods of cultural adjustment as well as an increase in
the number who simply come home after only a short time. This appears to correlate in part with excessive
cell phone or internet use. Although it might seem intuitive that calling home daily to check in or having
constant email communication will ease the transition and help you feel at home, in fact it connects you
ONLY to home and really inhibits normal integration with the host culture. You never leave your U.S.
mindset and so the local culture continues to feel ‘weird’ or uncomfortable. The more frequent your
communication with the people at home you miss, the less likely you are to establish meaningful relationships
with the wonderful new people around you. So, students, THINK SERIOUSLY about limiting the
frequency of your use. You might want to establish a ‘check-in’ schedule (say once or twice a week, on
Sunday and Wednesday evenings at such and such a time) when you know your parents or significant other
will be available and they know that you will be around and ready to talk. And then really try to stick to that
schedule. Keep a journal to record all the many new things happening to you so you won’t forget them when
you next chat with people at home!

2.7 TRAVEL TIPS
For some of you, your term abroad represents your first excursion out of the country and your first real travel
experience. Some of you are already seasoned travelers, or at least seasoned tourists. A term abroad will open
up to you many opportunities for further travel. Sometimes there are so many choices it can be difficult to
make decisions. It’s worth thinking about what you’d like to do, and how you’d like to do it, before you go.
Develop a strategy or philosophy to guide your travels. Perhaps you have two weeks to travel after your
program. Do you plan a whirl-wind tour of 10 countries? Or do you choose one or two places to get to know
well? Do you put the well-known cities and sites on your itinerary, or do you choose lesser-known, out of the
way places? This is a good time to do some homework, too, reading guidebooks about the country you are
going to and the surrounding region. Consider what is important to you, what kinds of things you think
would make the best memories later on. You might want to make a list of things you hope to see and
experience while abroad, or maybe you even want to make a detailed plan; or maybe you want to leave it
entirely open and be spontaneous. But thinking about how you want to explore now will enable you to make
better use of your time.

17

AROUND THE CITY

The city you are studying in is your major entry-point into the study of the nation as a whole. This is one of
the reasons we tend to name programs by both city and country (Bath, England; Hanoi, Vietnam; Mendoza,
Argentina); we recognize that the city you live in is a major player in creating the sense of place you have.
Students abroad can choose between two extremes, spending a lot of time getting to know every corner and
nook the city has to offer, or traveling most weekends to other cities or even other countries. Recognize that
there’s a balance to be struck between these two extremes. But also recognize that weekend visits to other
cities or countries will not offer the level of in-depth access you will get by regularly exploring the city you live
in while abroad. One of the writers of this guide was struck when, at the end of his study abroad term in
Seville, Spain (a gem of a city by all accounts) a fellow student asked him “what’s there to do in this town?”

FAMILIARITY AND TIME

Remember that around the world, most people don’t move as often as U.S. Americans do. We’re a very
mobile society. Globally it is much more common for a person to spend his/her entire life in one city of one
country. A result of this difference in mobility is that in general, people abroad spend much more time
building relationships and friendships than U.S. Americans do. What this means for you abroad is that you
might need to spend more time getting to know a place and its people before you become a “regular” at a
café or life-long friends with your host family or local classmates. This reality is one of the reasons we suggest
you explore your city and surrounding areas and save most of your major travel for after the program.

BOREDOM AND MELANCHOLY

You might be able to last through a two week vacation without getting bored or feeling lost and/or sad. But
you will be abroad for four months! Although these feelings may be uncomfortable, and you may feel them
more sharply because you are abroad, try to treat them as normal and expectable parts of your life. It has
even been said that “You have never really lived in a country until you have been bored in that country.”
Don’t be afraid to express how you are feeling, both to yourself in a journal or to others. Then, if you start
feeling things that you feel back at home, it might be a good sign that you are settling in. Think to yourself:
what would I do if I were feeling this way at home? Should I go out; should I start up a conversation with
my host family; should I take a nap and rest my frayed nerves? Your response is up to you, but do be aware
of how you are adjusting.

AROUND THE COUNTRY

If you do travel during weekends outside of the excursions that may be built into your program, consider
limiting yourself to other cities in the country. This advice is especially relevant to students on language
immersion programs. When learning a language in this style, taking a break entirely from it for a weekend will
delay or even push back some of the progress you’ve already made. Traveling around a country and visiting
its different regions and cities can give you a fascinating comparative view and a sense of the diversity of the
place. Also, traveling in a country where you speak the language (even not very well) will always be a more indepth experience than traveling through countries where you speak none of the language.

SECTION 3: All About Culture
If you think back to your first year of college, you might remember both apprehension and anticipation. You
were quickly hit with what you did not know—how to do your laundry, how to navigate the cafeteria, the
necessity of having your I.D. card on you at all times, where to buy books, how to succeed in a new kind of
study…the list goes on. What you were going through was a process of cultural adjustment. You were learning the
rules of a very new game; it took time, patience, and a willingness to watch, listen and learn. What you are
about to experience abroad is roughly comparable in character to the transition you went through coming to
HWS but it will be far more intense, challenging and rewarding. It’s the next step. Congratulations on
choosing it.

18

How long will you be abroad? About four months? That’s really not all that much time to fit in what many
returned students would call the most significant and amazing experience of their college careers (if not their
lives). You don’t have much time to waste being homesick or being frustrated by the cultural differences you
encounter. If you spend the first three weeks of your program disoriented and down, that’s about 20% of
your time abroad wasted. This section will help you understand what intercultural adjustment is all about, what
you should expect to experience, and how you can actively work to make this process a vibrant learning
experience.
You are about to encounter a culture that is typically much different from that with which you are familiar.
The rules of the game will not be the same. Researchers of cross-cultural communication use several models
to describe various aspects of the study abroad experience; this packet will guide you through them. You may
not think you need this information now, but many students who have crossed cultures—and come back
again—say that they are glad they knew about these ideas beforehand. Take this packet with you…our bet is
that at some point in your time abroad, you’ll pick it up again.

3.1 EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Much of the value of your study abroad program lies in the
experiences of day-to-day living, the encounters and relationships
you build with the people of your host country. The experiential
learning model depicted to the left contains several key ideas that, if
you keep them in mind, can help you get the most from your time
abroad.
The experience of living amidst a totally new culture can be at turns
exhilarating and frustrating. These frustrations can add up as you run
into more and more differences between the culture you carry
around with you and the host culture. One of the benefits of study
abroad is this realization—that you actually carry America around
with you. It’s your comfort zone, a set of values, ideas, and manners, a language and a set of products. You’ve
got to step out of this comfort zone if you want to truly have a great experience.

There’s no way around this: If you want to really learn, you’ll have to
go outside of your comfort zone. And going outside of your comfort
zone means taking a social risk.
A good rule of thumb for students abroad; if you’re not feeling uncomfortable, you’re not in much of a position
to learn anything. You haven’t felt confident enough in your language to talk to the newspaper seller you pass every day, even
though he looks like a character. You’ve felt too shy to go into that corner pub. You’re lost—but rather than ask someone for
directions, you fumble with a map. You pass the town square and people are dancing in traditional costume—what’s the occasion?
Your host family invites you to a familiar gathering—but your US American friends have planned a day away at the beach.
You’re on campus all day with many other Argentine students and some of them look very interesting but they haven’t introduced
themselves to you.
Stepping up to these challenges involves social risk and possible feelings of discomfort. But they all offer
opportunity as well. There’s much to gain, so take a chance!

TOURISM VS. STUDY ABROAD

Most cities have their tourist attractions and these are great things to take in during your time abroad. But
remember that most local people don’t frequent these places. And remember too that the spaces where the

19

local people live aren’t frequented by tourists. There is a name for this: tourist infrastructure. Tourism is the
largest economy on the planet. This infrastructure (with multi-lingual tour guides, menus in 12 languages,
museums and historic sites and boutiques) is designed to do three things: make you feel comfortable, show
you what most tourists want to see and separate you from your money.
If you understand the experiential foundation of study abroad, then you realize that this is not the optimal
space for students studying abroad to spend their time. Tourist infrastructures in fact insulate the traveler
from the daily life of the country (and the citizens that don’t speak the tourist’s language) and this is exactly
what you should want to experience while abroad. So, as a student abroad and not a tourist, take delight in
the simple pleasures of daily existence and really get to know your neighborhood and your city. Find a local
hangout. Become a regular. Go to restaurants without menus out front in five languages (they’re also often
less expensive). Get to know the merchants, waiters, and neighbors you bump into every day. Play basketball
or fútbol (soccer to us) with the local kids. These experiences often have as much (or maybe more) to say
than every city’s “tall thing to climb” or sanitized “attractions”.

BREAKING AWAY

If you’re abroad for a language immersion experience, hanging out all the time with other Americans will
keep you from advancing your language skills. So too will missing out on activities because you have to wait
around for your boyfriend/girlfriend to call for the second time that week. And: did you really travel halfway
around the world to spend all your time with people you already know or talking to people at home? So take
advantage of invitations from your host family, your language partner, or a foreign classmate. Go off
exploring on your own or with one good friend.

It’s okay to explore with an American buddy, but beware of the
pack! Large groups of Americans (along with being immediately
recognizable and off-putting) will keep you from really getting to
know the local culture and people.
Going abroad is about breaking away from what you know, so make sure you actually do that and don’t live
abroad in “Island America”. There are two other related things that will keep you from actually experiencing
what is going on around you: one is the easy accessibility of internet cafes, and the other is cell phones.
Technology allows us to be connected with people far away with great ease, but remember that is often at the
expense of connections with those immediately around us (not to mention actual monetary expense!)

“OH YEAH, YOU BLEND”

It’s a famous line from My Cousin Vinny, a film about culture clash right here in our own country. But
blending is what the characters try to do, and it’s what you should do. Why should you try to blend? First and
foremost, it’s a great way to learn about the culture. To blend in first requires you to actually look at the
people around you. You must become an ardent and keen observer of people’s behavior, language, etiquette,
dress and, in more general terms, the way people carry themselves and treat each other. Local people will
appreciate your efforts to understand and adopt some of these behaviors. It will show them that you respect
and want to understand their customs and values. And therefore they’ll trust you more, share more with you,
and feel more of an immediate bond of commonality with you. You’ll learn even more. Another reason you
should try to blend in is safety. The reality is that foreigners are often the targets of petty crime or unwanted
attention from the wrong kinds of people. Not sticking out in the crowd will keep you safer, and that bond of
commonality will mean that local people will be more likely to look out for you.

3.2 ADJUSTING TO A NEW CULTURE
Just as you did when you entered college, you will go through a process of cultural adjustment abroad where
you will learn to operate in a different cultural system, with different signals, rules, meanings, values and ideas.

20

Your experience living in this host culture will change over time. Once the immediate sensations of
excitement subside (the honeymoon phase), the experience of adjustment will likely be characterized by feelings of
anxiety, stress, sadness, and fatigue, as things begin to seem very…foreign. This process of intercultural
adjustment is often represented by the “u-curve”, plotted below:

If you’re studying in a non-English speaking country, your language skills will be quickly tested to their limit.
You might not understand the local accent. You might not be able to communicate with the bus driver. Your
host family’s behavior may confuse you. You may feel fatigued at having to use the language so much, and
finding it so difficult. This is normal and to be expected.
Many students who study in English-speaking countries go abroad with the mistaken belief that they will have
no cultural adjustment to make. Beware! Don’t mistake the superficial similarities of the countries for
sameness. While the differences may seem subtle at first glance, closer examination often reveals very different
attitudes, values and “norms”. Unfamiliar social customs (etiquette), and colloquial expressions (“tube” for
subway, “mate” for friend, “craic” for good conversation) are just a few of the possible differences between
countries that share the “same” language!
The truth is living in a culture different from your own is challenging and exhausting, especially early on in
the process where almost everything is a mystery. What is happening is simple: you are realizing how different
this new culture really is! And you are realizing that what you knew from before, what was familiar and
comfortable to you, may not help you at all now. Some people call this “culture shock”.
You may react to “culture shock” in a number of ways: you may find yourself favoring time alone, preferring
contact with friends or family at home over contact with foreigners or fellow students, and perhaps as a sense
of rejection of the host culture (hopefully, for your sake, temporarily!). Don’t let this phase of adjustment
forfeit an amazing opportunity to learn and grow! It is important to bear in mind that the initial difficulties do
wear off, and get much easier with active immersion in the culture that surrounds you. As shown on the Ucurve, the initial low subsides as you become accustomed to the norms and custom of your host-country.
This is called adjustment. Another note of good news: there are concrete strategies you can use to minimize
emotional and social difficulties:
*

*

*

Take time to re-energize with your friends. Don’t feel guilty about hanging out and comparing
experiences…you can do a lot of processing in these sessions. Just don’t isolate yourself from the
culture in that group.
Get out and explore. Don’t waste your time abroad in a mob of U.S. Americans! Strike off on your
own, or pair up with a friend, be it another American on your program, your host brother or sister,
or a local acquaintance you’ve cultivated. It’s good to have someone to experience things with,
bounce ideas off of, help out with language—but it’s also good to explore on your own and see what
life throws your way.
Narrow your world—focus your efforts on a neighborhood, street or even a single place, and try to
get to know that, using it as a window onto the rest of the culture.

21

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Widen your world—wander around the city or take trips to places you’ve never really heard of. Be
curious and open to the possibilities around you. View unfamiliar things as mysteries to be
investigated.
If you have a hobby or interest you pursued at home, pursue it abroad. If you sang in a choir or
played soccer, do those things abroad, too. You’ll meet local people who share that interest! One
student we know of brought her tennis racket to France; every other day she’d play tennis at the
nearby university, and this social sport became her doorway into French culture, introducing her to
many local people she would never otherwise have encountered.
Keep a journal. Journals are powerful tools for becoming aware. You can focus on the changes
going on within yourself, or you can focus your writing on what is going on around you, the weird
and wonderful details of that culture, or both.
Write letters. Letters can help you formulate your impressions and communicate your experience
with others; just be careful, you could alarm family and friends unnecessarily if you write about your
difficulties only and not your successes!
Set small goals for yourself every day. “Today I’m going to buy a newspaper and conduct the
transaction in the local language.” “This evening I’ll accompany my host parents to their relative’s
home and see what happens.”
Read…reading a book about the culture and civilization, be it a popular history or the musings of
another traveler, can be relaxing and informative. It’s great when what you read sheds light on what
you see or experience every day.
Find a conversation partner. In non-English speaking countries, many local people are seeking to
practice their English. Set up meetings and spend half the time conversing in English and the other
half in the local language. In English-speaking countries, take advantage of the shared language to
really engage people in dialogue about local history and contemporary issues.
Be open to invitations! One student reported back to us that she never felt like she had successfully
lived in a place unless she had had dinner in a family’s home and seen how normal people lived. In
some countries inviting foreigners into one’s house is an honor—for both the guest and the hosts!

You may have your down moments, but if you persist in trying, eventually the daily victories—when you have
successfully adapted to one or another aspect of the culture—will start to outweigh the setbacks and
frustrations. Over time, as you gain confidence in your ability to navigate through a different cultural system,
as your familiarity with local norms, values, and attitudes grows, and as you start to see things from different
perspectives, your adjustment will enhance the exciting and happy time you originally anticipated your
experience abroad to be.
One final note: everyone experiences cultural adjustment differently. This is just a general model to help you
visualize the fact that you will go through a process of cultural adjustment, and that this process will include
ups and downs, good days and bad, and moments of alternating homesickness and elation at the new culture
that is all around you.

3.3 CULTURE LEARNING: CUSTOMS AND VALUES
Before you go abroad, it’s a good idea to start thinking about culture as being one part customs and one part
values. As a person going abroad to immerse yourself in a different culture, you should be extremely flexible
about your customs, that is, the little things that make up your daily routine, the way you do things, the level
of service or quality of life you expect. You should, however, be more reserved about your values, that is, the
core beliefs that are important to you. It won’t hurt you to eat a food you are not accustomed to (notice the
word “accustomed”?) but say, for example, your host-father makes a racist comment about the recent wave
of North African immigrants. You shouldn’t feel like you have to agree with him just for the sake of fitting in.
Be respectful, but be true to your values, too.

22

There’s a connection between customs and values, however; the values of a culture are often expressed in its
customs. The café society of many Mediterranean and Latin American countries suggests a certain value for
comfortable social interaction, a relaxed view of time, and the idea that life should be savored teaspoon by
teaspoon. So as you adopt new customs, take time to reflect on the values that underlie them, and examine
your own values as well. Is there something in this culture worth taking back with you, making part of your
own core values?

LOCAL CUSTOMS
EATING AND DRINKING

Food is one of the most important parts of any culture. Although we may have pushed eating aside in the
United States, trying to make it fast and unobtrusive on the real concerns of our lives, for many cultures
across the world, eating and food are still of central importance to family and social life. Be aware that many
countries frown upon eating on-the-go and it is considered rude to eat food while you’re walking across
campus or down the street. Follow the examples of the locals: if you never see anyone else eating food as they
walk, you can assume it is not appropriate. Following the logic above, a country’s eating habits and customs
suggest its values. Note the café example above; a simple cup of coffee has many facets of Latin American
culture encoded in it. In Africa, to take another example, meals may be eaten with hands from a central bowl.
Encoded in this is a statement about community, family and sharing. As a guest in another culture, you
should be open to trying as many different new customs as you can, and this means kinds of food and modes
of eating. But be realistic: don’t expect yourself to eat beef if you’re a vegetarian or down tripe soup for the
fourth time if you really hate it. If you’re in a home-stay, first and foremost, be honest on your application for
housing. If you’re a vegetarian, say so. If you can’t handle cigarette smoke, write that. The programs we work
with abroad will try to meet your needs as best as they can. But expect some compromises! Also, be honest
and polite with your host families; probably not every family member likes the same kinds of food there, too.
It should be a process of mutual discovery. But also try new foods. Experiment with menu items you can’t
necessarily identify. You never know what you’ll discover. Buen provecho (in Spanish)!
While alcohol consumption varies in degree and social context from country to country, it is safe to say that,
in general, few countries consider the kind of drinking prevalent on American college campuses to be socially
acceptable. Many countries do not have strict drinking ages and therefore alcohol, not being illegal or taboo,
isn’t considered novel, and binge drinking is relatively rare. Many other cultures appear to have a much
healthier relationship to alcohol than does society in the U.S.
Many English- and German-speaking nations, for example, have lively pub scenes where people drink quite a
bit; but the careful observer will note that 1) people drink more slowly than in the U.S. and 2) people are
expected to hold their liquor. To be seen stumbling drunk is embarrassing, not funny. In these cultures, you
may also note that, with the exception of pubs that are explicitly for the student population, there is a broader
mix of people who socialize together. It is quite common in England and Ireland, for example, for young
adults to go to the pub with dad and grandma or even with a young sibling in tow. So, conduct yourself in a
way that is appropriate for a mixed age crowd.
Mediterranean cultures value alcohol as a social lubricant and as an intrinsic part of meals. People will
socialize in bars, but the careful observer will notice that the local people will space their drinking out over a
large stretch of time, and eat small snacks in-between drinks. In this environment, it is not uncommon to
leave drinks half-finished as there will be a lot of sampling over the course of the evening. If you finish
everything, you’ll normally drink quite a bit more than you might here.
In Latin America most people go outside the home to socialize and the night-life is extremely lively and goes
on into the wee hours of the morning – even for “old” people the age of your parents! On the other hand,
the home is considered very special and private. Your host family may serve wine or beer with meals but
probably will frown on heavy drinking in the home. Wine is very common in Argentina, especially in the

23

wine producing areas around Mendoza. But it is not customary to get “drunk.” Remember that if you plan
to be out socializing half the night, too much alcohol will get in the way of your plans.
In a number of Asian countries, most notably Japan, you’ll probably be surprised by the quantity of alcohol
consumed, especially within a short time-frame. You might even witness drunken behavior – within the
confines of the bar or restaurant. But notice two important things: 1) this behavior ends when you cross the
threshold from the bar to the street where drunkenness is NOT tolerated and 2) behavior that might be okay
for a local is more likely to be disapproved of when displayed by a guest. Asians are very mindful of the
differences between hosts and guests and each has explicit responsibilities to the other. In Japan you are likely
to be showered with gifts and offers of hospitality by total strangers – which are okay for you to accept. In
return, however, you must be certain that your own behavior is always seen as respectful.
Although you are all “legal” abroad, we strongly encourage you to drink responsibly and carefully abroad.
Drinking too much leaves you more vulnerable to pick-pocketing and other petty crime and, in excess, will
lead you to display behavior that may fuel anti-American sentiment. If you choose to drink, be very aware of
the quantities you consume. Also note that alcoholic drinks in other countries, beer and local drinks in
particular, tend to have a higher alcohol contact per volume than their U.S. counterparts.

SECTION 4: Safety and Health
4.1 SAFETY ABROAD: A FRAMEWORK
Take a look at the experiential learning model again. Notice that there’s “social discomfort”, and there’s
danger. Taking social risks doesn’t mean putting yourself in harm’s way. What you “risk” should only be
embarrassment and a wounded ego, temporary feelings that wear off. You can rely on your good judgment to
tell the difference between risk and danger much of the time: for instance, there’s talking to the newspaper
seller, and there’s wandering through a seedy part of town alone in the middle of the night. One poses the
kind of social risk we’re encouraging, and one poses danger to your well-being.
Recognize, however, that there are instances when you can’t sense the line between social risk and danger
simply because you don’t understand the culture. Sellers in the open market place follow you around. They
seem aggressive. Are you in danger, or is this simply the normal way of doing things in your host country? Is
there some kind of body language you can use to communicate that you’re not interested? You can’t know
this unless you know the culture well. And to know the culture well, you need to get out there, learn, ask
questions, and take social risks!

The best way to stay safe abroad is to be more aware and learn as
much as you can about your host-country.
Statistically the crime rate in most overseas locations where we send students is lower than the typical US city.
However, because there is often a large student population in many of the locations, students can be lulled
into a false sense of security. Remember that with your American accent you will stand out and could be a
target. Given that you will be in unfamiliar surroundings while you are abroad it is particularly important that
you use your best judgment. Above all, be street smart: if you are going out at night try to go in groups and be
aware of your surroundings. Look out for one another. You will be spending a lot of time in an urban
environment so act accordingly. If something doesn’t feel right, listen to your instincts.
Regarding your personal belongings, be sure to secure your important items (passports, traveler’s checks,
valuables) and to lock the door to your flats at all times.

24

IMPORTANT: No matter where you go – even if you leave home to go to the supermarket two blocks
away - always take some identification document with you.

DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR

The following is behavior you should avoid while abroad:
1.) Don’t give out the names, numbers, and addresses of other program participants.
2.) Don’t invite new friends back to your quarters; meet in a public place until you know them better.
3.) Don’t do drugs abroad (see below for why).
4.) Avoid American hang-outs (McDonald’s, Hard Rock Cafes, etc.) and avoid being in large groups of
Americans.
5.) Don’t wander alone in an unfamiliar city where you don’t know the good areas from the bad.
6.) Don’t drink too much in public; it may make you look foolish and you be more susceptible.
7.) Never go out without documents and contact information card (provided upon arrival) with phone
numbers of all members of the group and staff, and the address & phone of your homestay family.
8.) In general, never do anything you would not do at home (like going to an ATM at midnight in a solitary
downtown street).
9.) Be aware you should not behave as if you were in the enclosed campus space at HWS.
If things go wrong
Despite all preparations and precautions that you might take, sometimes things just go wrong. You could
become ill while abroad, get hurt in an accident, be the victim of an assault or other crime, or become
overwhelmed by a personal or academic problem. Should this happen to you, please ask for help!
The first page of this handbook provides emergency contact information. Your program director and/or 24hour on call number that you are given during orientation on your arrival should be the first call that you
make in an emergency situation. Keep that phone number in your wallet or on your person at all times. In
small programs, the director may be the only person to provide support. In larger programs, usually those
based at a foreign university, you may be given multiple phone numbers (i.e. call this number for a medical
emergency, that one for the police or a security issue, and a third for academic issues).
But whatever the case, please use the staff on site when you are ill, vulnerable or upset. Your emergency
contact will either be able to help you directly or can and will connect you to outside local services (such as
the police, a therapist or medical provider, a legal advisor, etc) and will deal with the matter competently,
professionally and with discretion. We also encourage you to reach out via phone or email to the staff at
CGE. Amy Teel is the point person for semester or year-long programs and Sharon Walsh for short-term
programs. While CGE staff cannot deliver services immediately when an incident happens (i.e. we cannot
accompany you to the hospital or police abroad), we can be helpful in coordinating services between you, the
host institution, your parents (with your permission) and various HWS offices.

4.2 HEALTHCARE AND INSURANCE
You can anticipate that health care will be of high quality in Argentina. The faculty director and the staff of
the university will assist you in case you need to seek medical care. They have identified qualified English
speaking doctors for routine office visits, minor illnesses and prescriptions.
You are required to have insurance that is valid worldwide as a condition of participating in a
program abroad. Many of you are covered by your parent’s policy and will waive coverage by HWS. Be sure
to check that your policy has medical evacuation and repatriation coverage. It is easy to buy that separately
and cheaply (you can purchase an ISIC card (see section 1.6) if your policy does not include it. If you are
using your own insurance make sure that you have the insurance card with you and that you know the phone

25

number for international assistance. You will need to check with your provider for questions about coverage,
deductibles, claims, and the like.
For those not covered by a parent’s policy who would like to purchase a comprehensive medical policy that
includes evacuation and repatriation coverage, here are some providers we have worked with: HTH World
Wide - https://www.hthtravelinsurance.com/students_plans.cfm (click on the “quote” button on the
GeoBlue Voyager plan). If this policy is not offered in your state, you can type in the Geneva, NY zipcode
(14456), since all HWS students are also considered New York residents. The other provider is Trawick
International http://www.trawickinternational.com/Our-Products/Travel-Medical Click on “Safe travels
international” and enter the info requested to get an online quote. Be sure to choose the level of coverage and
deductible you would like from the dropdown menus.
HWS students also will be sent information from the HWS student accounts office about the year-long
school plan this summer. Students have the option of purchasing the year-long Gallagher Student Health &
Special Risk policy through HWS. While the year-long policy is fine if you will be in the U.S., we strongly
recommend that you purchase a more comprehensive policy like the policies mentioned above if you will be
abroad. The reason for this is that the year-long policy covers only 70% of medical expenses while abroad so
you would be responsible for the other 30%. If you need any kind of extended hospital care abroad, the cost
could be prohibitive if you only have the year-long policy.
If you do not purchase the year-long HWS policy through Gallagher, then you need to waive this coverage on
the Gallagher website at: https://www.gallagherstudent.com/students/student-home.php?idField=1192 and
click on “student waive/enroll”. If you do not waive the coverage, then the year-long policy will be
purchased for you automatically and will appear on your tuition bill. Students who are abroad during the fall
semester who waive the general student policy during their term abroad WILL be given the opportunity to
purchase it later for the spring term only.

4.3 WOMEN’S ISSUES ABROAD
American girls are easy. A special word to women going abroad: the sad truth is that some foreign men believe
this stereotype to be true. How they may have arrived at this conclusion is not hard to surmise if you watch a
little TV. What this means for you is that certain behaviors in public (drunkenness being a big one) may get
you unwanted attention from the worst kinds of people. Again, blend in by watching the behavior of those
around you and adopting it as your way. In particular, women should pay attention to the dressing code of
people their age in different contexts – on campus, in clubs, at home, on the beach, etc.

4.4 HIV
HIV is equally or more prevalent abroad and just as deadly as it is here. Sometimes Americans abroad lower
their guard and engage in activities that they never would back at home, feeling somehow “immune” or
“invincible”. Resist these thoughts! Also, in a different context, many Americans are unsure of the cultural
cues involved or are unsure of how (or whether it is appropriate) to talk about sex. Don’t let this uncertainty
get in the way of your safety: get to know your partners, use a condom, and be aware of safer sex practices.

4.5 DRUGS
Each year, 2,500 U.S. Americans are arrested abroad, 1/3 of these arrests for possession of illegal drugs. So
here it is in simple terms: don’t do drugs abroad. If you get caught doing drugs in another country you are
fully subject to their laws (which are often more stringent than our own) and chances are good that you will
spend time in prison, or worse: some nations have the death penalty for those found guilty of drug trafficking.
Being a U.S. citizen gives you no special privileges. The U.S. embassy will not go out of its way to help you
out. The Marines will not execute a daring amphibious landing to rescue you. And, HWS can do nothing to

26

intervene other than to call your parents and advise them to hire an international lawyer – fast and at their
own expense.
There are three key things to understand about this issue (drawn from a study of U.S. Americans in prison
abroad by journalist Peter Laufer):
1. Most nations adhere to the Napoleonic code, which presumes the accused to be guilty until proven
innocent.
2. Few nations grant bail between arrest and trial.
3. The State Department will rarely intervene to aid an accused or convicted American for fear of
upsetting relations with the host country.
DON’T DO DRUGS ABROAD! Use of or solicitation of illegal drugs is, on top of everything noted above,
grounds for being returned home to the US (to your parents’ home – not to your college) at your own
expense and normally at the forfeit of academic credit (and tuition dollars) for the term. If you are caught
using drugs abroad by the authorities, the only assistance the Faculty Directors and your home campuses will
provide is to refer you (and your parents) to legal counsel. We cannot and will not intervene in matters
between you and the local authorities. Breaking the law there is simply unacceptable and could be a decision
you will spend a lifetime regretting.

4.6 TRAFFIC
Look both ways before you cross, cross in the cross-walk, obey the right-of-way rules. Traffic safety and the
roles of drivers and pedestrians are deeply engrained in a car-oriented culture such as the U.S. When going
abroad, it’s important—essential—to understand that like everything else, traffic rules differ from country to
country. For students studying in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Australia or New Zealand or South
Africa, you have to remember to look right first because that’s where the cars are coming from. This takes
some getting used to! For students studying in the Germanic nations of Denmark, Germany and Austria, you
have to understand that people in general follow the rules. Pedestrians do not jay-walk; they wait for the walk
signal—even if there isn’t a car in sight. In contrast to this are Italy, Spain, France and Argentina where
general chaos often rules and pedestrians are expected to make way for cars—in the crosswalk, in the middle
of the street, even sometimes on the sidewalk.
A final word about traffic: given the differences in the traffic rules but also patterns and driving customs, we
strongly advise AGAINST ever renting a vehicle and driving yourself while abroad. Public transportation in
most nations is far better and more accessible than it is here. Use it!

4.7 POLITICS
Don’t read the newspaper? Unfamiliar with what’s happening in Washington or New York, let alone the
events shaking Paris or Moscow or Buenos Aires? You’re in the minority. People around the world, by and
large, know a lot about politics and spend a lot of time talking about it. Not just their politics, our politics.
This is especially true in Argentina. So it is very important to read up on what’s going on in the country you’re
going to, and what’s going on here, too. We can pretty much guarantee you that people will press you for
your opinion of the current U.S. administration or the next stop on the globe-trotting war on terror.
You can learn a lot from talking politics with surprisingly well-informed foreigners. Some of you might,
however, be on the receiving end of angry talk against the United States. Second to the surprise over how
knowledgeable people around the world are about politics is how angry many of them are over U.S. policies.
In general people are very good at distinguishing between U.S. Americans and the U.S. government, but in
some cases you might feel the need to remind them of this distinction and to diffuse some of the anger by
saying that you might not necessarily agree with the policy either. It’s an instance where you’ll have to use
your judgment. As you re-examine some of your values over time, you might also find yourself questioning

27

some of your political beliefs. And you might change other’s minds as well. Eventually people all around the
world will have to come to the table and talk out their differences…you might as well be in on it early. By the
way, South Americans consider themselves “Americans” too, so you would do well to refer to yourself as
being from the US, not just as “American.” One other quick note, Argentines call the “Falkland Islands” Las
Malvinas. Since this is the 30th anniversary of the war over these islands, it would be a good idea for you to
begin to use the Argentine name for them.

4.8 NOTE TO STUDENTS ABROAD DURING AN ELECTION YEAR
It is easy to forget about your own country when you are abroad but you will find that the people in your
local city and country are quite interested in following the U.S. national elections, particularly the election of
the President. For many of you, this will be the first time when you are ‘legal’ to vote so it would be a shame
to miss out on exercising your rights of citizenship. To obtain an absentee ballot and ensure that you have a
voice in the election go to: www.longdistancevoter.org. Please note that procedures, deadlines, forms and
instructions vary by State. To ensure that you do not miss the deadlines for your own state, we recommend
that you start the process of requesting a ballot by September 1 at the latest.

SECTION 5: Coming Back
HWS Registration for the Spring semester
The Office of the Registrar will email instructions to you on how to register when you’re abroad. You will be
directed to the Registrar’s webpage for the registration dates and course catalog, which is available online.
You should not be at any registration disadvantage due to your off-campus status. Be aware of time
differences and remember that there may only be a small window of time for you to register, so plan
accordingly. If you will be on a required excursion or break during your registration dates and will not have
access to email, you may contact Chris Fitzgerald fitzgerald@hws.edu in the Registrar’s office in advance and
she can register for you but this option is ONLY for those who will not have internet access. Keep in mind
that you can only register you for classes for which you have met the pre-requisite(s), are open to students in
your class year, and do not require special permission of instructor. If special permissions are required, you
can email the instructor BEFORE registration day, tell him/her you are abroad, state your case and ask
him/her to issue the permit. Also, be sure to check before you leave HWS that you do not have a
financial or administrative hold on your account or you may be unable to register.
HWS Housing for your return
Fall students
Students who will be abroad for Fall do not participate in the general room selection process. They do not
pre-select a space. Instead, they have two options:



Co-sign with a student who will be abroad for the following Spring: This is a formal contract
allowing them to swap spaces when the other goes/returns from abroad.
Participate in the online selection process in November of the semester they will be away:
For students returning to the colleges for the following Spring, an online room selection process
takes place in November. Students abroad participate in this process.

There are some exceptions where Fall abroad students are allowed to participate:


If the student wishes to live off-campus for the Spring semester, they should participate in the offcampus approval process which occurs in the semester before they leave.

28



If the student wishes to be considered for a theme house opening when they return, they may
participate in the theme house selection process. If they are accepted into the house, they will
automatically be waitlisted and invited into the house if a space becomes available. They may also
attend the house’s room selection meeting and try to identify someone to co-sign with at the
meeting.

Spring students
Students who will be abroad for the Spring will be sent, electronically, all pertinent information about
opportunities and procedures for the following Fall. Before you depart for your term abroad, you will be sent
an email from Residential Education spelling out the housing selection process for rooms on campus (or offcampus approvals) for the fall. Room selection will be done online and you will be able to participate in the
process exactly at the same time and through the same medium as everyone else on campus.
Please note that only rising seniors will be considered for off-campus housing status and you must apply for
off-campus approval by the same process as students on campus. DO NOT SIGN A LEASE UNTIL YOU
RECEIVE WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION.

5.2 REENTRY AND READJUSTMENT
This information is designed to help you prepare for the transition back “home”. It is organized into two
themes: Closing the Circle looks at a few things you can do now to prepare for the next phase of your
international experience, coming home (or reentry). Opening New Doors suggests ways you can keep your
international experience alive and relevant, including information about some of the programs the CGE
offers for returning students.

CLOSING THE CIRCLE

Are you ready to leave this place? Have you wrapped up all your academics? Think back to all the times over
the last few months (or in those months of planning and anticipation) that you said “before I leave I’d really
like to…” Now’s the time to review this list and see if there’s any way to fit a few more of these things in
before you go. We hope this will ignite a lifetime passion of travel and intercultural endeavor on your part,
but although many students say they will return to their host country again, in reality most do not. So get out
there while you can and have as few regrets as possible.
Think about all the photographs you’ve taken over the last few months. Did you really photograph everything
that’s important to you? How about what you see on your walk to class every day? Or your host-family? Do
you have a photograph of your favorite café or restaurant, or your host-country friends? Don’t end up with a
thousand pictures of churches, temples or castles and none of the things that make up your day-to-day life,
because it’s those commonplace details you’ll think-and talk-about most when you’re back.

An idea: do a “day in the life of” photo-shoot. Photograph your
whole day from morning till night, so you can visually answer the
question “what was a typical day like”.
PACKING UP

Remember the airline weight limits you worried about before you left? They still apply. Check with your
airline if you don’t remember what they are. Now might be a good time to ship a box home if you can.
Remember that you’ll likely be tired on the way back, and that jet-lag tends to be worse coming home than
going away.

29

Now might also be a good time to pack up some things you wouldn’t have thought about bringing home
otherwise. Think of the food you’ve (hopefully) grown to love over the last couple of months. Is there
anything you’d like to share with your family, or just have at home for a taste of your host-country on those
days when you’re missing it? Are there any recipes you’d like to have? Now’s the time to ask about them and
write them down.
Other things you might want to pack up include memories. If you’ve been keeping a journal, the last few
weeks are a great time to reflect on your experience. The times in peoples’ lives that are characterized by
change often have a crisper quality to them; every experience seems to be imbued with a deeper meaning. Try
to capture this in your writing.
Ask yourself some questions:
What did I accomplish while abroad?
What did I learn about myself?
What did I learn about this country?
What friends did I make, and what did they teach me?
What will I miss the most?
What am I most looking forward to?
What does this experience mean for my future? Will I live differently now?
What did I learn about my own country and culture while abroad?
Do I want to return to this place? What have I left undone?
You’ll want to ask yourself these questions again after you’ve been home for a while, but thinking about them
now can be rewarding and can help you put a little closer on your experience.

COMING HOME

The first (and often surprising) thing to know about coming home is that in many ways you will feel like you
did when you arrived in your host country a few months ago: exhausted and excited. Probably it will feel as
great to be home as it felt to be in your host country for the first few days, though for different reasons.
You’ll enjoy some home cooking, calls from old friends, and telling your family about your experiences. You
may be thrilled to pull all those clothes you left behind from the drawer and put on something clean for the
first time in some weeks.
But, just as your initial elation at being in a new and excited place was tempered by a realization at how
foreign and unfamiliar it felt, your honeymoon period at home may also start to not seem totally right. Things
that you expected to be familiar may now seem quite alien. Your ears might find it weird to hear English
being spoken everywhere. You might think your family throws too much away. You may balk at spending $50
for a meal out when you know your host family lived off that much for a month. The abundance in the
supermarket may stop you in your tracks, so used to getting by with less things have you become. You may
be dismayed at how fast-paced US culture is, or frustrated at how little people actually want to hear about all
your experiences (or look at all your pictures). You may not experience every single one of these things, but
most of you will experience some of them. The most important thing to realize is that this is totally normal,
and the ups and downs you’re experiencing is frequently called “reverse culture shock”. It actually often gets
mapped just like the U-curve:

30

The most important step in being ready for reverse culture shock is to expect it, and to realize that most of it
is caused not by changes in home, but changes in you. You won’t know how far you’ve come until you can
reflect on the journey from the place you call(ed) home. This is actually a great time to not only learn about
yourself and how you’ve grown while abroad, it’s also a great time to learn about home from a far more
objective perspective than you’ve ever had before. Lots of students come back saying that they never felt
more American than when they were abroad, and never more foreign than when they were back in the US.
The first thing to do is relax. Like culture shock the first time around, you’ll get through this, and end up
stronger for the experience. You’ll have your ups and downs, good days and bad. Some of the same coping
skills you used to get you through the low points while abroad will serve you well here—reflect in your
journals, keep active, rest and eat well, explore your surroundings with new eyes. Soon you will have adjusted,
though we hope that you’ve never quite the same as you were before your experience abroad!

OPENING NEW DOORS

While the last section dealt with things you needed to address while still abroad, this section examines your
(new) life at home and back on campus. And while we encouraged you to put some closer on your experience
abroad, now we’re going to suggest you take the next step—figuring out what doors have opened to you as a
result of your experiences. We’ve posed a series of questions below with some information as well as
suggestions where you can find out more.
DO YOU WANT TO STAY INVOLVED WITH STUDY ABROAD?
Get involved. Talk about your semester abroad in your classes. Make a zine about it. Come to Away Café and tell a
story that crosses borders. The students who continue their international experiences often go on to international
careers, or exciting opportunities like Peace Corps or the Fulbright Program. To start with, consider becoming a
Global Ambassador. Ambassadors help the CGE represent programs to prospective students at admissions events,
general information sessions for study abroad programs, and general and program-specific orientations, as well as
tabling, and talking to classes. Contact Doug Reilly at dreilly@hws.edu.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE COUNTRY YOU STUDIED IN?
Talk to your advisor, the faculty director of the program or anyone at the CGE; we’ll help you find courses that may
build upon your experiences. You can also consider an independent study; talk to your academic advisor to find out
more. Some students focus their honor’s thesis on their country of study as well.
DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT INTERNATIONAL CAREERS?
Maybe you think you’d like to make travel a part of the rest of your life. Maybe you’d like to spend a few years after
graduation traveling or working abroad before settling down. Career Services and the Center for Global Education
present an International Career Workshop every semester. In addition, please visit Career Services and the CGE and
learn about some of the many options!
DO YOU WANT TO PUBLISH YOUR WRITING, ART OR PHOTOGRAPHY?
There are several opportunities available to you. There’s a yearly photo contest, usually held in the Spring semester,
and the CGE curates a gallery space on the third floor of Trinity Hall called the Global Visions Gallery. GVG hosts
individual and group shows, with the goal of opening a new show each semester. If you have an idea for a show, see

31

Doug Reilly. There’s also The Aleph: a journal of global perspectives, published every Spring by the Center for Global
Education and an editorial board of students just like you. To submit your work to the Aleph or learn more about the
editorial board, email Doug Reilly at the CGE at dreilly@hws.edu.
DO YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH FELLOW STUDENTS?
Learn about becoming a paid Programming Assistant (PA) with the CGE and help orient other students going abroad,
help the CGE develop on-campus programs aimed at making HWS a more culturally-diverse place, and help us out
with programs like the photo contest, The Aleph, and International Week.
DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A FILM ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE ABROAD?
Doug Reilly at The Center for Global Education has been regularly offering a Reader’s College on digital storytelling.
Students meet each week to eat, tell stories, learn about making films, and actually make their own three-minute digital
story. This is a great way to both process your experience and also create a statement about it that you can share
widely. Contact Doug Reilly at dreilly@hws.edu for more information.
DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR REENTRY EXPERIENCE?
The staff of the CGE love to talk about study abroad. Most of us have studied abroad ourselves - that’s why we do
the work we do today. Make an appointment with one of us or just drop in - if we’re available, we’d be more than
happy to hear about your experiences. It helps us learn how students perceive our programs, and it gives you a chance
to talk to someone who understands.
Our hope is that you’ll take advantage of one or more of these opportunities.
CENTER FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION
THIRD FLOOR TRINITY HALL
315-781-3307

32

AUTORIZACIÓN PARA VIAJAR Y PARA RESIDIR EN LA REPÚBLICA
ARGENTINA
PARENTAL CONSENT TO TRAVEL AND TO LIVE TEMPORARILY IN ARGENTINA
LUGAR Y FECHA: ...............................................................
(PLACE AND DATE)

NOSOTROS,
LOS
DE..........................................................................................................................
WE, THE PARENTS OF
(Student’s full name and date of birth)

PADRES

AUTORIZAMOS A NUESTRO/A HIJO/A A VIAJAR HACIA Y DESDE LA REPÚBLICA
ARGENTINA Y A RESIDIR ALLI DE FORMA TEMPORARIA.
GRANT OUR AUTHORIZATION TO OUR SON/DAUGHTER TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM ARGENTINA AND TO LIVE TEMPORARILY
THERE.

ASIMISMO, DESIGNAMOS
A………………………………

TUTOR

DE

NUESTRO/A

HIJO/A

EN

ARGENTINA

WE ALSO APPOINT AS OUR SON/DAUGHTER’S LEGAL GUARDIAN IN ARGENTINA

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………
(Name, ID and address of designated guardian in Argentina)

......................................................

.....................................................

FIRMA DEL PADRE

FIRMA DE LA MADRE

SIGNATURE OF THE FATHER

SIGNATURE OF THE MOTHER

......................................................
Aclaración

......................................................
Aclaración

Printed name of the father

Printed name of the mother

......................................................
FIRMA DEL NOTARIO PÚBLICO
NOTARY PUBLIC´S SIGNATURE

Sworn to before me on this.............................................
Printed Name (or seal):
Licence No.:
State:
My commission expires:
Qualified in:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Important: This form must be completed and signed by both parents before a Notary Public. The signature of the Notary
Public must be certified by the County Clerk and finally authenticated by the Office of the Secretary of State with the
“APOSTILLE” (The Hague Legalization Convention, 1961).

33

34



---

Source Exif Data:

File Type                       : PDF
File Type Extension             : pdf
MIME Type                       : application/pdf
PDF Version                     : 1.5
Linearized                      : Yes
Author                          : HWS User
Create Date                     : 2014:05:28 14:38:52-04:00
Modify Date                     : 2014:07:07 11:56:29-04:00
Language                        : en-US
Tagged PDF                      : Yes
XMP Toolkit                     : Adobe XMP Core 5.4-c005 78.147326, 2012/08/23-13:03:03
Format                          : application/pdf
Creator                         : HWS User
Title                           : A student’s guide to study abroad
Creator Tool                    : Microsoft® Office Word 2007
Metadata Date                   : 2014:07:07 11:56:29-04:00
Producer                        : Microsoft® Office Word 2007
Document ID                     : uuid:a78664b5-ab32-b149-ab8e-90b191eb94fb
Instance ID                     : uuid:1c968992-8538-1a4d-ad9a-dcf96928cfa3
Page Count                      : 34

EXIF Metadata provided by EXIF.tools