Three months in Patagonia - Que vida che Past Review

By (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., University of Oregon) - abroad from 01/17/2014 to 04/11/2014 with

Round River Conservation Studies - Patagonia, Chile Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The place and the people made it worthwhile. I learned about Patagonia, gaucho lifestyle, global eco-politics, natural history of the area, flexibility, and a bit of Spanish.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The beginning of the program at West Winds did not feel particularly integrated, but moving to the basecamp in Cochrane brought us closer to the community. Bernardo O'Higgins was very immersive culturally in terms of working with our CONAF guadaparques and adapting to the Patagonian pace of life at Fiordo Bernardo.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

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

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Around $25 on drinks and snacks.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Don't eat so many snacks.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location
  • Freedom and flexibility
  • Group size
* What could be improved?
  • Academics
  • Consistency
  • Relationship with Conservacion Patagonica
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That this was going to be an experimental program in regard to working with CONAF, and that the connection between Round River and CP is not as strong as it appears to be on the program description. The academics suffered with the logistics of multiple locations, especially the final projects.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.