Verena, Student of Interior Design, 24 years old

Mirko, Student of Electrical Engineering, 23 years old

Kathrin, Psychologist, 28 years old

Sandra, International Tourism Management Student, 22 years old

Jana, Student of Social Pedagogy, 22 years old

Kerstin, Student of Biogeography, 25 years old

Helge, Student of Cultural Sciences, 24 years old

Claudia, Student Industrial Engineering and Managment, 24 years old

Dorothee, Student of Pedagogy, 23 years old
Sabine, Studentin Cultural Administration, 21 Jahre

Nina, Medicine Student, Germany

Mark, Travelling throughout Southamerica, Austria

Philipp, Business Communication Student, 22 years old

Jonas, Language and Communication Student, 25 years old

Carsten, Theology Student, 24 years old

Juliane, Student of European Business Administration, 25 years old

Stephan, International Management Student, 22 years old

Dominik, Business Communication Student, 22 years old
Camille, International Economy Student, 21 years old

I was already sitting in the airplane when I started to realize that I was actually heading for Argentina – without much of a clue what was expecting me. I had literally jumped up from my desk right into the airplane – but there were three months ahead of me to find out more about it.
After a flight that seemed to me like an eternity, I finally arrived in my new home, an apartment in the middle of the city centre. Although my only desire was to sleep instantly, I summoned my few words of Spanish to get acquainted with my fellow flatmates. I was sure that I would feel comfortable here, since the girls were very nice... soon after, I fell into a very sound sleep which lasted until the next morning...
When I woke up, it was already and my flatmates had already left the appartment. I was very curious to discover my new environment and also had to find a bank to withdraw some Argentine Pesos. So I just hit the road and instantly discovered the helpfulness and compelling amiability of the Cordobese, enabling me to find a bank despite of a Cordobese public holiday.
Right away, I had the feeling that I would be very much at ease here – a feeling that was more than confirmed in the following months.
At noon, I had my first language lessons. With hindsight I can say that you should not let yourselves be impressed by minor teething troubles and the constant feeling of mixing up everything language-wise. You just have to start to speak – and it is really helpful to be constantly „surrounded“ by the language.
Before my work experience abroad started, I travelled to Salta and Jujuy for a few days – later on I took some more weekend-trips. There is so much to discover and don't get discouraged by the long distances – the cross-country busses are really great!!!
I did my work experience in an architecture-/interior design office – already on my first day I felt as if I had been working there for ages. The working atmosphere was very pleasant, I had very likeable colleagues and was completely integrated in the work process. It was a thrilling experience, because things were very different on the one hand, while being surprisingly similar in some respects on the other hand. When it finally came to saying goodbye, I could hardly cotton up to the idea of going back to Germany. I postponed my return flight in order to stay a few days longer. And if there had not been a presentation and my diploma waiting for me at home, I would not have minded at all if these final few days had turned into months...
I returned to Germany with many unforgettable great memories – and with the certainty that I would return in a few months (after my diploma) for another year. There is still so much to discover and – above all – many people and things have grown so close to my heart in that short time.

I arrived in Córdoba on the 4th of October after a 15-hour flight around half of the world. It was comparatively chilly on that day. To be honest, I had not really bothered to get an idea of Argentina. Until that point, South America had just been another continent very, very far from home. And it was exactly that what had attracted me. Being alone abroad, just on my own, a road paved with a multitude of adventures ahead of me and plenty of great new people which I could expect to meet. I should soon find out that I had not landed in some kind of nameless banana republic, but in Argentina! A country with people who are indescribably kind and proud, passionate and in some fascinating way venturous. A country so ineffably grand and blessed with countless natural wonders.. Home to winners of the Nobel prize, two times soccer world-champion, rich in folklore, simply a real country where seasons exist just as well as I could find out on the cold spring day of my arrival.
My home was at the time a four person flat share in the city centre of Córdoba with a bunch of nice young people with whom I became friends in an instant. I had a room for myself, albeit kind of small. And the blessing of noise protecting windows has not yet reached Argentina. But apart from that there was everything necessary for comfortable life: a fridge, a TV set and a washing machine.
My host father – or rather the chief of our flat share – for the coming five months immediately was eager to get the idea across that this was not just a functional flat share but that everything was shared brotherly. Because of my fragmentary Spanish skills, this conversation took quite long. Thus it had turned out that the first hurdle to tackle was the language problem. Proactively, I had booked a five-week language course to prepare my internship. In my course we were three people including the teacher. She avoided to speak English and her course was more based on the conversational level. That naturally overchallenged me consistently but had the nice halo effect that I was able to communicate well after a few weeks.
Via my roommates and the other language school students I quickly met people who introduced me to life in Córdoba; excursions into the remarkably beautiful surrounds, disco nights stretching into the morning hours, or simply having a Lomito, the Argentine answer to the hamburger, framed by a few Quilmes, by far the best beer in Argentina.
After five more or less relaxed weeks of language course I finally entered my work experience abroad in a television repair shop. It was a small family business with the grandfather being the owner and the son, an engineer, acting as the managing director. The main tasks were done by two employees, a secretary and for a certain time also by me. Being quite different from my former experiences with internships in Germany, I was completely incorporated into the work flow and even put in charge of rather difficult tasks which resulted in a boost of motivation! We worked between eight and nine hours a day. In Argentina, you don't just silently go about your job. Everyone speaks a lot and laughs without forgetting the actual work. I thus didn't just learn an awful lot, professionally, language-wise, and in general, but also simply had a great time!
Summing it up, I can say that my professional experience abroad was an unforgettable event and I eagerly await the day when I will return to Argentina!

My internship in a girls' house in Córdoba dates back quite some time. I was studying psychology in Berlin and absolutely wanted to go abroad for a few months. South America seemed a good choice to get away from the Berlin winter and to learn another language at the same time. More by coincidence I went to Argentina and had just a vague idea conveyed by stories of friends of what might be expecting me there. I was impressed by the friendliness and patience which with my first attempts to communicate in the new language were received, helping me to make remarkable progress on a day-to-day basis. It was exciting to plunge into the culture, to perceive the European roots in their peculiar mix with Indian way of life, to experience the diversity of Argentine folklore and to travel and marvel at the vast pristine landscapes under a permanently blue sky. Most of all I was touched and moved by the easiness of people, their way of dealing with existential insecurities, their talent for spontaneity, their unshakable faith that things are on the up and up, their ability for bonding and their particular sense of humour.
I can vividly recount my first impressions and encounters. By and by they have been mixed with many other unique experiences, since I have kept returning there several times since my first visit.

I arrived in Córdoba in January. At this time, I had already studied five months in Mar del Plata, so that I didn't attend the Spanish classes which NICE offers. Although I already knew the “Argentinean way of life” for some months, I noticed very soon that Córdoba is something special. The people are very nice, interested and open, the life was so easygoing. I felt at home after one week.
What makes Córdoba so special are the people, but also the city has its advantages. It is a big city, so that you don't get bored. It is also a young city, because there are many students from all over Argentina who are visiting the University in Córdoba. And, what I like most, you just have to travel one hour by bus and you are in the Sierras, a beautiful area with nature, lakes and mountains.
The support of NICE before and during your stay is really great. It is just a small agency who actually is in Córdoba, so that you have personal contact. The people working there are committed to help you in every aspect. The internship itself was also good: My colleagues at work were very friendly and tried to make my time there as enjoyable as possible. The only negative thing I could mention is that in the beginning there wasn't very much to do. But the friendliness of the people there made up for this, so that I didn't feel the need to change company.
I can absolutely recommend NICE as an agency, not only by my own experience but also by what other people told me about their agencies. Córdoba as city is also a great choice because of the characteristics mentioned above. Right now, I am still in Córdoba and I can say that the time that is left seems much too short to me. I cannot imagine being back in Germany in a few weeks and I really would like to come back one day.

Without any precise idea of country, people and language I set out for Argentina to stay there for 7 months, to learn Spanish, to work, travel and meet new people.
In the beginning it was difficult not to be able to understand a single word. At first, there is a lot to learn and little free time as a side effect. But that changes soon. Once the internship has started, you get to know lots of new people and for better or worse: you have to start speaking that new language all day long. Shortly after, you start dreaming in Spanish and will even write Spanish text messages with your new German friends. It is absolutely astonishing how quickly you can learn a new language on the spot where it is spoken.
The internships are, as far as I know, very different. I was working in some kind of special school and liked it a lot. I was involved in everything right from the beginning – and working with children and adolescents definitely never gets boring!
Those 7 months were a wonderful experience for me. There is such an incredible lot to see and one spot is more beautiful than the other. The people are very friendly, patient and always willing to convey their knowledge of Argentine history, politics and culture. Flat mates and co-workers are especially helpful when it comes to finding new friends and making yourself feel at home on the other side of the globe.

Kerstin, Student of Biogeography, 25 years old

Since I am back in Germany, I have been thinking about how I can sum up all my experiences in Argentina in a few lines of text. My conclusion is: it simply doesn't work!
Thus you will only find a overview here.
Organisation NICE: kudos to NICE for the great job! You have optimal support and can expect that everyone at NICE will always be available and you will run in open doors with any question. They support and help you, no matter in what situation.
Language course: simply brilliant! Grammar tuition and subsequent hands-on practice of the language in conversational training (with the teacher or in the streets with other Argentinians). It is strenous, but worth the effort and very effective!
Internship abroad: I had my internship in the biological department of the University of Córdoba and I was a assigned to handle my own project: Odour Production of Prosopanche Americana. Very interesting and in the beginning I really had a lot of work. Towards the end of my internship, the work load had decreased so that I had a lot of leisure time. Partially I would have wished for more occupation. But because my colleagues were extremely nice and I could set up my own work schedule, I didn't really mind. Moreover, autumn isn't the best season to work with plants. I think there will be a lot more to do during Argentine spring and summer. A word to the wise: the Argentine way of working is not always 100 % effective.
Accommodation: I lived with a very, very nice student right in the city centre. I had really drawn the ace. Couldn't have been any better!
Córdoba/Argentina: I spent 4,5 month in Argentina and I have by far not seen everything. It is a huge country and offers countless impressive and beautiful landscapes worth seeing.
The province of Córdoba also has a lot to offer. For nature freaks, the sierras are the perfect destination. But the city itself is very attractive as well, alone by the number of students.
Advice: just take the bare minimum with you in your luggage. You find plenty of cheap shopping opportunities in Córdoba/Argentina. I can just advise anybody to travel as much as possible and to let yourself be impressed by the beauty of Argentina. No matter where you show up, you always run in open doors with the Argentines. So: what are you waiting for. Kick off today!

I arrived in November, the Argentine early summer in Córdoba . Not only exchanging the North German rainy weather against the plain sun was a beautiful experience. But the friendliness, the concern and the open-mindedness of the Cordobese and their pleasant way of communicating made me aware that I had really just crossed the Atlantic.
During the first days, I started - aside from getting to know the city as well as my female flatmates - my three-week language intensive course. The extraordinarily friendly and competent teacher could really get the Argentine Spanish across very well – I enjoyed the classes so much and learned so well that I continued to take lessons during my internship time and even after having finishet the internship (I stayed a whole year in Córdoba).
You can get along very well with the language, if you just swot up a little and most of all overcome your inhibitions to open your mouth and take the risk of making some mistakes now and then.
I did my eight-week internship in the field administration of cultural activities – in a work group consisting of members of a private Cordobese University and staff of a cultural centre. This work group evaluated cultural life in Córdoba and was preparing a Diplomado (a sort of advanced training course ) in the field of administration of cultural activities. My main task was to evaluate the data of Cultural Departments, cultural organisations and operators via telephone, to introduce them to our work and to invite them to participate in the Diplomado. You could describe it as a kind of network fostering. Doing that, the content was less of a challenge than the language: calling people a lot was a perfect language training and quickly eliminated my fears to make a fool of myself in Spanish. Over all, it was a lot of fun – last but not least due to my great colleagues.
I can only describe the work and the offer of NICE as very positive and praise them for it: the contact is very friendly, prices are fair, there is a broad range to choose from: you have, be it concerning accommodation, the language school or the internship, the feeling that NICE staff is not just looking for any solution, but that quality is their first priority.
I can just recommend anyone still thinking about spending some time abroad to DO it. It will bring a lot of new impulses to your life.
Moreover, I can really advise anyone to travel to Argentina and – more concrete – Córdoba : the city and its inhabitants are acutely refreshing, the cultural offers broadly diversified. The Sierras, located an hour beyond the city limits, are inviting you to retreat into pure nature for a day or longer. There are places worth visiting in throngs. For whom that is not sufficient finds new ant totally different – but not less interesting – destinations beyond the Argentine boundaries.
I am very glad to have chosen Córdoba for my internship abroad and my semester abroad and I am positive that it hasn't been my last stay in South America.

Dorothee, Student of Pedagogy, 23 years old

About a year ago, I had read the firsthand reports on this page to get a picture looking at the personal experience of others. Now I have been back to Germany for about a month and I am writing a report myself. Strange enough. Especially as I realise that those things others had written about and that were hardly imaginable a year ago have become reality for myself. A reality that I have fond and dear memories of and that I feel like reliving as soon as I get out my photos and look at them.
I study pedagogy and I wanted to do an internship abroad in the field of helping mentally ill children. The quest for a suitable place was not all that easy, but it all worked well! Hence, I could do an 11-week internship in a school for children who were mentally ill.
At first, I took a 4-week language course and extended it for another 2 weeks spontaneously. This course was very intensive and not challenging, but due to the private lessons I was really able to learn a lot. I had such a good relationship with my teacher so that the atmosphere was really pleasant and casual instead of being regimented!
The internship abroad was great as well. Because of diverse language obstacles it was certainly not always easy, but we all had a solid patience and were very helpful with each other. Contact with the colleagues was extremely hearty so that I felt really at ease. I could take on many task solely responsible and thus gained a lot of experience for myself personally as well as for my professional future.
All in all, I was in Argentina for four months and have been living in cosy homes at all times that always gave me a feeling of being at home. The support by NICE was friendly and face-to-face previous to and during my stay. The staff was always very attentive and dealt well with all kinds of questions and wishes.
I hope that I have been able to give you a little insight into my experiences and that I could facilitate your decision to go to Argentina with NICE a little.
At any rate, I am very happy that I was able to get to know this wonderful and manifold country and its amiable, open-minded and interested inhabitants. I am already looking forward to my next visit to Argentina.
The best would be to get an impression yourself and be one of the next to write such a firsthand report filled with your own good memories.

Even before my departure to Argentina, I realized that NICE assisted me with any kinds of problems or questions concerning my stay and that I really could rely on their help during my whole 6-months stay.
During the first five weeks in Argentina I took an intensive Spanish course with another student. As the learning concept included grammar and text-production as well as conversation and communication in daily situations I achieved a huge progress only after a short time. The tutorial was well prepared and taught in a comprehensive way. The lessons passed rather quickly and in a friendly atmosphere.
During my internship I continued with classes by taking Private Tutoring lessons. This way, I was able to deepen my Spanish knowledge and resolve occurring common language problems.
Thanks to my 3-month-internship in the Central Administration of the Argentine National Parks I learned a lot about the Argentinean way of living. Furthermore, I gained a lot of experience which could help me in my career and also personal development. My colleagues were extremely friendly and took me to wonderful national and regional parks, congresses, meetings and also private parties throughout the country.
I was accommodated in the centre of Córdoba near my working place and it was really cosy. I lived with an Argentine student of my age, which gave me the opportunity to train my Spanish also outside classes and to find many Argentine friends who introduced me to the nightlife of Córdoba.
During my 6-month-stay I haven't only learnt a lot but also had a lot of fun with my new friends. I also used the opportunity of my stay in order to travel a lot, what made me learn very much about the Argentine culture as well as about me and my own culture and values.
Briefly, I can only recommend to everyone going abroad with NICE!

Nina, Medicine Student, 20 years old

How do I order that deliciously looking sandwich at the kiosk in the corner?
Well, the number of different sandwich-names is not the only problem which you are confronted with in a country where you don't speak the language!
So what I first needed when I got to Córdoba, was a language course. And not just any course! It had to get me ready as quickly as possible for the "real life". It had to prepare me well for ordering all kinds of yummy "empanadas", for shopping on the gorgeous arts and crafts market of Córdoba, for conversations while drinking a "mate" with friendly and open people I would get to know, for the countless fiestas and concerts that take place on the weekends, for taking the right bus to go to the gorgeous rivers and mountains that Córdoba is surrounded by...
Making it short: I had pretty high expectations on a language course! Luckily I decided on NICE and wasn't disappointed!
The course was very personalized and perfectly adapted to my own language level and necesities. With my young, motivated and competent teacher I felt in good hands, which made studying easier and classes less boring. Moreover the course included the Outdoor Training outside of the classroom which made learning not only more interesting, but I also got the chance to try my Spanish in day-to-day-situations and learn what really mattered, for example: to buy muy roast-beef sandwich with moustard in the arabic bread :)
Thanks to teaching methods drawn directly from life, well structured practice/grammar- books and a competent teacher, my Spanish skills advanced quickly and I felt soon ready to enjoy the wonderful life in Córdoba to the fullest!
So, to sum it up, I can say that I would recommend NICE to anyone!

Mark, Travelling throughout Southamerica, 25 years old

I came here to learn four weeks ago... so now it's the last day here in Córdoba and I can look back to four weeks in a beautiful city, surrounded by people who are frightenly friendly and warmhearted. My classes were pretty intense but I have learned a lot.
Córdoba is beautiful, the city center seems more compact and inviting that one would expect from such a big town. The flair is almost mediterranean. The people are beautiful as well. I stayed at a private home, Laura, my hostess, is a sweet person and I had a fantastic room with roof terrace! The teachers are young and fun, it really could not be better!
I really can recommend NICE, I don't think it could be any better (By the way, they are not only amazing according to the quality and fun of the lessons, they are also cheaper than many other institutional schools here).
Tomorrow I will arrive in Buenos Aires, the second time, exactly five months after I arrived here in November. It seems like an eternity, I have seen so many fantastic things, met so many people and never get tired of travelling. My life on the road is so intense, everyday there are so many new things to see and experience. Although, compared to Asia, it's a bit harder to travel here; the experiences and lasting impressions are of another dimension.
On Monday my girlfriend from Austria will arrive! Together we travel for another two months through Argentina and Brazil before we have to go home end of May.

Philipp, Business Communication Student, 22 years old

My time in Argentina was awesome.
I took a 6 weeks language intensive course. The course was well structured, I had no classmates and the concept of teaching in a classroom as one part and teaching on the street as the other part is excellent. If you are starting with a language there is no better way of learning!
Let's talk about my “profes” Romina and Lucía: two very kind and able persons who teached me not only, what it means to speak Spanish, but also what it means to be in Argentina. Apart from all the hours we invested in improving my Spanish, my teachers tried to explain me, who the Argentineans are and why they are like this. And they did a good job! I never had serious problems with the Argentinean culture or people. Furthermore I can say that I found a lot of friends here in Argentina. Argentinean friends, of course!
I made the experience that Argentina is taking the openness to another level. This openness is part of a culture I learned to love. Not everything is OK how it works in Argentina, or let's say – not works. But there is one thing you can count on when you are coming to Argentina: if you start talking to the people, they will not let you stand alone! Overall you are welcomed with wide opened arms. Coming to Argentina was the best decision I've made for years!

Jonas, Language and Communication Student, 25 years old

This is my third week in Córdoba. Until now it has been a very exciting time - and my 'pasantía' has not even started yet!
I live in a nice house next to the city centre of Córdoba. In this house I have a big room, a bathroom and even a terrace! Laura, the woman who owns the house is a fun, outgoing and helpful person. We talk a lot – of course only in Spanish – and it is so interesting to get to know such a different culture.
The hardest part in the first weeks is of course the language since the language is sometimes very hard to understand. This was also a problem for me, but thanks to my language teachers Marisa and Lucía this problem could be solved easily. In the courses you do not only get to know the differences between the 'Spanish' and 'Argentinian' Spanish, you also get useful information on the Argentinian way of living.
All in all I can only recommend coming to Argentina in order to experience this unique and exciting country!

Juliane, European Business Administration, 25 years old

At the beginning of my 3-month stay in Argentina I had spent three weeks in Córdoba, the second largest city in the country. Despite the fact that I already commanded considerable skills in the Spanish language, I had a few problems at first. I realized that it is quite another thing to speak a language in a course at university or to communicate within the language in the country itself. Already the greetings I was received with by my host family was exceptionally warm and this attitude of warm-heartedness on the part of my host mum and her son did not change during the next weeks. My Spanish course was indeed an INTENSIVE course – after four hours of thinking, writing and –most of all– speaking in Spanish, I was really tired and my brain was stuffed. Then it felt good to take a stroll in the streets of Córdoba, to take a rest on a bench on Plaza San Martin regarding the cathedral or to have a Mate or a beer in one of the countless bars of this students' city.
After three weeks I had settled comfortably in Córdoba and I already had to take my leave. The next two months I spent in Buenos Aires to do an internship in the marketing department of a shoe manufacturer.
My four flatmates with whom I shared an appartment in the city centre were all students and a lot of fun to be with. The 12-million city Buenos Aires was just the perfect thing for me as a metropolis-fan and I often found myself just wandering around through the streets admiring beautiful edifices in districts such as Palermo or San Telmo. In my spare time, I also got to see the very impressing Iguazu waterfalls in the North of the country and I also ferried across to Uruguay to visit the capital Montevideo with its very own charme. But what fascinated me most during my stay were the people who are friendly, open and cheerful despite their sometimes obvious poverty.
Alltogether, I spent three wonderful months in Argentina which did not only influence my life's path positively and brushed up my Spanish, but also brought great experiences on a personal basis.

Stephan, International Management student, 22 years old

Me and a friend decided to go to Argentina for an internship pretty spontaneously. Immediately we contacted NICE, because we heard about them from another student, who was really satisfied. We got an answer really quickly and they put much effort into the search, so that we were able start the internship soon. The friendly staff of NICE helped us a lot and tried everything to give us the best time here in Argentina. Before we did the internship, our Spanish had to become more advanced, and for that reason, we did a language course “intensive” for four weeks and a “business” course for another week. It was just amazing how fast we learned Spanish, the teachers were really professional and after this time, we felt well prepared to start working. The Outdoor training helped us to cope with shopping, post office etc. and we learned the vocabulary which is necessary. The internship was exactly what we were looking for and our tasks were ambitious. However the accommodation was also perfect, we lived together with an Argentinean, who was lovely, and made friends quickly. All in all I have to say that NICE was the best, most honest and personal choice we could have made and I thank them for a great time in this beautiful country.

Dominik, Business Communication Student, 22 years old

Córdoba was an amazing experience for me. And that was not just because of good weather and the friendly, always helpful Argentineans. The Spanish course of NICE assured that I could enjoy conversations with all kinds of people already after just a few weeks and gave me a great basis also for the internship that followed soon after.
One reason for this definitely was the small course size which gave our teacher the possibility to cull also individual problems. She also provided me with literature and gave me a good knowledge of the Argentinean mentality in extra conversation lessons. A special Outdoor-Training was interactive learning pure, making sure stores, post offices, tourism agencies and bus-driving are no obstacles. The Business Spanish course I took as well made me feel a lot more comfortable when I started the internship, because I already knew a lot of this specific vocabulary.
Along with this went the housing. I had a room in the apartment of a lovely Argentinean girl that took her time to talk a lot, to explain behaviour and mentality of people. Of course, living in Córdoba is different from living in Europe, but I never had the feeling that I missed something.
I can recommend this experience to everyone who wants to learn this language, to get to know this beautiful country with its interesting people, and who also wants to get a perfect insight into the working life here.