Josh (Sem 1, 2023)

My Exchange at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

I had always had my eye on an exchange since starting my Global Studies degree. Thanks to doing a conjoint with Law, I had enough years of study to wait out a pandemic and head to Santiago de Chile to study Semester 1 2023 at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

I initially stayed in one of the nicest parts of Santiago and was absolutely blown away by the wealth of the area. The business district boasted towering shiny buildings, and the parks rivalled the best of Auckland. I quickly found a shared flat with Chilean flatmates in a less pricey neighbourhood and loved the feel of the area.

Each day started off brilliantly with my flat being a 3 minute walk to the metro station, where a train would arrive immediately as I got on the platform. Arriving at the end of Summer meant that the leafy trees created massive canopies overhead at campus, providing relief from the dry heat. The main campus of San Joaquin was sprawling, and I loved how it was relatively closed off from the public, unlike where UoA city campus has roads dividing all the buildings.

Orientation did what it said it would. At the end, a rando invited me for ice cream with a group of 10 people from around the world, and we ended up staying in touch for the entire semester. During classes, I found it was a lot easier to befriend international students than local students, given many already had established friend groups, and international students were more understanding with my level of Spanish.

Santiago was busy, with 7 million residents who brought a range of cultural diversity. Santiago excelled in a choice of ethnic food, and it seemed as though you could go to a new museum each week. I loved traveling to the South of Chile, which reminded me of the natural beauty of Aotearoa, but perhaps on a larger scale. Sometimes I felt like Santiago was just as expensive as New Zealand, but upon returning, I feel like it was about a third cheaper than NZ. Rent was only $150 per week which I thought was fantastic being so close to the metro and in a nice neighbourhood.

It was hard to join clubs as an international students, and I couldn’t commit to a sports team as I was always traveling around Chile. I did however take advantage of the excellent international student club, which was run by local students determined to give us local experiences. These activities were the highlight of my university experience, and UC Chile should be very proud of CAUC.

The biggest challenge was one I brought on myself – speaking Spanish. It was my goal to become fluent over there, and man, was this a journey! Although my prioritisation of Spanish may have sacrificed the deepening of some friendships, the vast majority were patient with me giving it a go. If I didn’t give it a go, I wouldn’t have got to the ability I currently have.

To those seeking an international experience, longing to have friends scattered around the world, or simply hoping to escape from the monotony of a 5-year degree, I would strongly recommend an exchange. You’ll never have such a supported way to travel in your life. To language students seeking fluency: challenge yourself and go to a region where you can force yourself to speak only that language. Once you’re there, I would only advise to set yourself a series of goals. Focus on what you desire; the exchange is yours.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

I loved having such small class sizes, and assignments that welcomed the abilities and recognised the limitations of generative AI. Each day I learnt both Spanish and the class content, and I really miss this daily growth.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

The university’s exchange student support club, CAUC, was great in coordinating international students to get together and experience Santiago. When it came to traveling around Chile, Patagonia in early Autumn and Atacama in Winter was absolutely breathtaking.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

Embrace the slang; talk to someone new every day; and take advantage of overnight buses!

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

This trip was very difficult to budget for. I spent a lot more money towards the start of the trip, since meeting new people and developing friendships revolved around food & activities. Plus, in the first few weeks I did the big start-of-flat shop which further blew the weekly budget out of proportion.

I was lucky enough to receive a couple of scholarships, from PMSLA and 360. This made me have a relatively comfortable travel experience where I could do the once-in-a-lifetime stuff. Overall I think I spent about $1500 NZD per month – rent + food (incl. eating out) being $1000, and then $500ish on transport (public + ubers + regional buses); hostels when travelling; entertainment/activities; and a bit of shopping.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

Due to a lack of personal interactions New Zealand has with Latin America, we tend to paint the region as just one homogenous block. Despite thinking that I went without preconceived ideas, I was blown away with the soul and spirit of Chile. Some things that piqued my interest were that:

1. Classes aren’t scheduled for the days of major protests because the university knows political participation is part of student culture.
2. On Sundays the main road in Santiago closes for bikes and others on wheels
3. Strangers excitedly talk to strangers the first day snow appears on the Andes mountains
4. There’s some people that believe the 1973-1990 dictator, and his arbitrary detainment, torture, and disappearance of people was justified (and those believers may be shared by almost half of the tribunal writing Chile’s new proposed constitution)
5. Colonised countries can look very different to each other.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

Four hours away from the mainland, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) sits in Polynesia, still a territory of Chile. I feel incredibly privileged to have travelled there, especially after growing up learning about the iconic moai (stone anthropomorphic carvings). Moreover, traveling into Polynesia almost felt like coming home after so long in Latin America. The language, Rapanui, is almost mutually intelligible with te reo Māori so it was fascinating to be able to read some of the local signage and exchange some kupu with the guides. I would highly recommend a week-long cultural visit to the island to appreciate how the indigenous group has persisted through history.