Argentine University System

I thought that since I am a college student here in Buenos Aires it might be interesting to write a quick post about the differences in the University system here in Argentina. There aren't a whole lot of differences but there are definitely enough to make it interesting.

First, the public universities here are really the ones that are the best. Specifically, University of Buenos Aires. All of the public universities in Argentina are government funded and take the best students from the secondary education system here in Argentina. So basically if you say you go to a public school here you are a smarty pants.

Second, and probably most importantly, the public universities here are free. Now when I say free you still have to pay for your books and stuff, but the university itself is free. That's right no tuition at all. So in Argentina, the best students go to the public universities for free.

Now one of the big difference is also that students don't generally live on campus. They live at home with their parents. I'm sure this is a horrendous thought for many of the people reading this blog in the states, but the reality here in Argentina is people live at home with their parents until they are married. This usually doesn't happen until their late 20's early 30's, which explains why everyone thinks that I am 28 and living alone, because the idea of a 21 year old living alone is simply horrendous to the vast majority here.

Another major difference in the university systems is the level of education that one receives or the type of degree you can get. Basically, the idea of a master's degree or graduate degree is non-existent here. They have a degree you get when you go to the university, you are not an undergraduate you are a university student.

Another major difference is the state of the school grounds. In the United States the very best universities tend to be private and have huge endowments with lots of money to spend on general upkeep of the university and the equipment that it uses in classroom teaching. Well because the best universities here are public, and the universities don't receive nearly as much money as those in the United States, the state of affairs in terms of the actual physical condition of the grounds and buildings of the public universities is pretty sad. I have a bunch of pictures later so you can see what I mean.

The final major difference between the university system in the US and Argentina is the idea of research. I feel like in the United States to even be considered a top tier professor you have to have at least 2 or 3 different major research projects going on with successful results coming from all of them. In Argentina, the idea of research simply does not exist in the same universe as it does in the United States. Whatever research goes on here, no matter how important is fairly minimal. This really does change the entire dynamic in the university. In the states, many students compete to work in certain labs or with certain professors doing research and creating new knowledge. In Argentina, universities aren't really meant to create new knowledge but rather to educate the country's people at a higher level. That I think is the real difference between the two systems.

Now time for some pictures of the University of Buenos Aires, or how everyone here refers to it, UBA:

This is the hospital that the medical school does all of its trainings and practicals at....very different than the US huh?

This is a picture of the security guard that yelled at me for taking pictures of the school. Apparently it is not allowed. I  of course sneaked around to another entrance and took them stealthily and left. Yes I am risking South American imprisonment for this blog....you readers better appreciate that.

Typical of any college campus anywhere....the two people who are so madly in love with each other they feel it is okay to be completely sexually inappropriate in a public place.

The sign depicting the best medical school in Argentina.

Patagonia Peregrination Part 9

Well I guess its that time again where I reflect on my time here and what I think of el Calafate and add some of the random pictures I didn't put in before.....

Let me start by saying I am at a real loss at how to describe this place. Its like some sort of weird cross between what I imagine Nebraska would be like and the Arizona deserts. Just strange.....like no place I have ever been before in my life. Now let me start with a little music since I am not really sure how long I may ramble for in this post......

Do you know how hard it is to find songs about Nebraska or Arizona....it was either that or that country song about there is no Arizona....I think I went with the better one.

Now where do I begin. Hmmmmm. I am sitting here in my hotel room looking out of my window and thinking how weird this whole part of the trip has actually been. Not bad....just so very different from Ushuaia which I wasn't expecting at all. This place is not nearly as cold and doesn't have the same small town feel to it. When I was in Ushuaia I felt like I could have been in some cold town in Northern Maine a lot of the time, but here I don't get that feeling at all. Even though climate wise it is not very different, the terrain and the people just change everything. Some pictures to describe the difference in the scenery....

It looks green but trust me looks can be deceiving. 

The bridge looks like it could be one of those nice New England home made rickety bridges but its just not the same when its desert-like on the other side of the bridge. 

The main street....

Enough about the town itself....I want to talk about some revelations that I had while here in el Calafate....First let me say that my Spanish is exponentially better than it was when I first got here....My time in this small little town has definitely proved that.

Besides the fact that I am able to communicate with the local people that run the hotel without any real nerves speaking or expressing myself makes me so very very happy. Then the best part is when people assume I am a local. Now its always a very touristy person who does this but it still makes me happy. I think its a combination of the fact that I am alone and dressed as if this temperature is normal. The perfect example of this confusion came when I was waiting in line at the ATM. Behind me were two sets of tourists, an Indian couple who looked as though they had been married for quite some time and a young couple who was probably on their honeymoon. The people in front of me were definitely locals, maté in hand, and the person in front of them was an Argentine but not a local. The person who was Argentine but not local had trouble getting money out of the machine....And when I say she had trouble she couldn't get any. She then asked if anyone was from Argentina, I did NOT raise my hand but the people who did assured here the amount she wanted to withdraw was below the maximum so she got fairly aggravated. Then the woman in front of me was able to withdraw with no problem. So I offered that it must be her card because the machine was working fine. Another older woman and I then proceeded to speak briefly about how the woman must have a problem with her card as the machine had worked for everyone else and to withdraw more money then she was trying. It was at this point that the Indian couple behind me asked the other clearly English speaking couple if they knew what was going on. It was at this point that the young woman said, "yea they were just discussing whether it was a problem with the machine or her card but decided it must be her card". 

I couldn't believe it. I had just been talked about as if I was someone who didn't understand the English speaker.....It was both funny and a little aggravating. I now understand what it must feel like to be talked about in a foreign language and completely understand it. It didn't matter so much that they didn't say anything bad it just felt rude that they were talking about me as if I wasn't there simply because I couldn't speak the language. 

The next moment came while I was eating lunch in a café. The fútbol game was on and a keeper made an absolutely terrible attempt to block a shot and the other team scored. At this point this old Argentine man hit me in the arm and began talking about how horrible the keeper was. And then the weirdest thing happened, I responded in Spanish and in agreement with the old man. Who knew I even knew some of those words??

I think the most important thing that I am going to take away from el Calafate is honestly the comfort of knowing that I am much more comfortable with my Spanish then I EVER have been before.

What else about el Calafate??? Well one thing is that I think I might like to have a house like the hotel I am staying in.....I know that sounds ridiculous, but one day when I am filthy rich I will. Only it won't be in the desert in will be in New England. I mean the place is just really cool. I want to put up some more pictures of the hotel with some of the scenery in the daylight so here they are...

The best part about the whole place is probably these two dogs....they are amazing and my favorite and if I could steal one I would.....

Well I guess for now that is all I have to reflect on....so I will get to packing so that I can get my flight back to Buenos Aires.....

Patagonian Peregrination Part 8

The next part of my day yesterday was actually walking through the Los Glacieres Parque Nacional. It was so nice. It was raining but there was something about walking around the paths and woods alone hearing the cracking of the glacier that was just really cool. The flowers that were blooming because it is spring/summer here after all, were just pretty and the whole thing seemed like it was a scene out of some National Geographic movie or something.

While the park is mainly to protect the major glaciers in the area it also protects the surrounding woodlands which is pretty awesome. There is a station sort of like in the states where you can stop and get lunch, so of course I did. And guess what I had.....Calafate flavored ice cream. As I was eating I think I heard "look at that" and "he's crazy" in at least 5 or 6 different languages. I mean it was cold and windy and raining a little bit but I was not going to pass up a chance to try the local ice cream.....I mean c'mon..... It was really good actually.

It was fairly reminiscent of what I imagine blueberry ice cream would taste like. Delicious...

What else can I say about this part of my trip...not much that the pictures I post won't say so I guess I am just going to post them and let you see for yourself....I'll post the flowers first and then the landscape ones....

This is a picture of the El Calafate berry, doesn't it even sort of look like a blueberry!

This is some glacial ice falling into the water!

Just a beach shot because I couldn't resist!

I realized in re-reading both of my last two posts that it appears I am on some sort of a vacation to the Glacier National Park in Argentina. Let me assure you this is not the case. I actually had a lovely meeting over breakfast at my hotel with a nurse from Great Britain who was expounding upon her perceived differences between the Argentine and UK health systems. Additionally, while trekking through the park I had an on the trail discussion with two nurses from New Zealand to understand their view of their healthcare system and make comparisons between Argentina and the US. So I repeat this was NOT a vacation, but rather a trip to have some meetings and discuss healthcare systems with different nurses abroad.

Patagonian Peregrination Part 7

El Calafate is all about the GLACIERS!! That and the things that you can make from the el calafate fruit....but mostly the GLACIERS!! What did I do yesterday then?? Looked at Glaciers obviously! Well not Glaciers so much as one Glacier called Perrito Moreno. 


My first expedition was on a  boat to see the South face of the glacier. I will admit this was a little touristy, think the boat at Niagra Falls, but I got some great pictures and it was the first time I have ever seen a glacier so who cares. For those of you who have never seen a glacier and are unsure of what it actually looks like in real life let me assure you that it really is just a huge chunk of ice. I mean an ENORMOUS hunk of ice. Like think the size of a mountain, but made of ice. It's crazy!


The boat ride was actually really nice it was only about an hour or an hour and half but I got to see the whole south face. I even got to see some of the glacier splitting off and falling into the sea. 


For a little background on the Perito Moreno glacier. It is one of several glaciers found in Los Glacieres Parque Nacional....(for my non-Spanish speakers that would be Glacier National Park, but if you could figure that one out you probably can't speak English either). The glacier received its name after the explorer Francisco Moreno who actually helped explore Patagonia and then lay claim to the region and protect it from Chilean hands. Quite literally if you translate the name Perito Moreno it means like Expert Moreno. The Perito Moreno glacier is actually, if I am recalling correctly, the 3rd largest reserve of fresh water and is only one of 3 glaciers that is not retreating in Patagonia....yes that's right it is beating the Global Warming odds and simply staying stagnant in a process known as glacial balance, which basically means it grows and equal amount to what it ruptures....okay enough with the boring glacier information that I learned here are some pictures:

The company that took me on my boat trip.

The mountain leading up to the glacier.

I love this picture because it looks so fake the way the water transitions colors.

Yes that is ice just floating in the water....it was pretty weird seeing it.

Me in front of a glacier.

Patagonian Peregrination Part 6

So another plane, which was delayed...surprise surprise...I literally haven't taken a plane this whole trip that wasn't delayed, and I am here in el Calafate....so named after the berry bush seen here...

The whole place is very different from Ushuaia I am still unsure about how I feel about it. I think it seems to be much less touristy which is cool. My hotel is called Los Canelos and is very....let's go with rustic. I am still so unsure about how I feel about it. I think it is because I got here so late but it is very cool. Very different than the last one that's for sure. Well here are some pictures of the hotel, but I am off to bed because I am exhausted.

Christmas in el Calafate! 

Let's end with some of the weird pictures in my hallway!