¿Cachai Chile? Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

For my courses at least, a lot of the weight rested on reading very advanced material and a final oral exam, which is not at all easy for any foreigner. The professors weren't exactly disposed to helping either, it seemed. Basically just stick to the TAs, who I found much more useful than the professors themselves. Then gain, it could just be because of what I took.

On-site administration of your program

It leaves you with a wonderful freedom and independence, but because of that, there's not a whole lot of help seeming to come your whole lot of help. The office is accessible but you most likely have to travel across campuses to get there.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was blessed to meet Chileans the semester before I went abroad, which opened up a world of connections. Plus I had entered a life movement called Schoenstatt that made staying with families that were a part of that very easy. Since I lived way out of Santiago (Las Condes), the area was really safe but also quite a ways from the university (San Joaquin, over an hour trip every day taking the bus and subway). There were nice discotecs all around for dancing and plenty of nice homes for house parties. All of the families I stayed with (I moved around a bit) treated me just like a son--it was awesome.

The thing about Chilean food is that it doesn't have a whole lot that makes it special. Empanadas and the meat they grill is really good, but that's standard for basically everywhere in the Cono Sur. Their meals are pretty standard, some type of meat with mashed potatoes or rice. But they have amazing bread, and this really awesome spicy stuff called pebre which they put on choirpán (sausage on bread). And they eat everything later, so don't be surprised if you find yourself sitting down to eat at like 10:30 at night.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Although I didn't go to this, the program organizes a trip to Mendoza which is great for the international students to get to know each other better and have a blast--that city is beautiful.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

One thing: people steal things. Period. It's just one of those realities that you can't ignore or hope to be above of. I heard so many awful stories about friends having laptops stolen when placed at their side for a few seconds, one that got robbed in the subway (the guys ripped her iTouch out of her hand and ran out as the doors were closing). And they do it for a living, so you can never be too careful.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I practiced Spanish with my host family and all of the Chilean friends I made, which of course turned to be incredibly useful. I tended to stay away from other exchange students if they only wanted to speak English. Go to the parties, meet all the Chileans you can, and don't spend all of your time with your English-speaking friends (or your group, if that's the case) so that you actually learn. Chilean is a really hard Spanish, although a lot of them do speak at least broken English.

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• Host Family

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• Local Students