Details

• Chile
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

My most important tip is getting to know the other WU students that go to your partner university as quickly as possible! It really helps a lot with finding accommodation, organising your travels and getting comfortable as soon as you arrive there … Its easier to figure things out as a team and to not miss deadlines and so on. Apart from that, if you can, work in advance to have as much money as possible, you will need it!

2. Accommodation

Our accomodation search was without any troubles. We had the contact information to two different landlords in the area that rent out short time apartments for students and after we inquired with both, we chose the one that we felt more comfortable with and she also had the apartment that we preferred and ended up choosing (her name was Maria). We did not have any problems with. The apartment other than the water not getting warm during the winter, but that was unfortunately the case for everyone else as well … We stayed in a private apartment in one of the buildings called “las Torres” where a lot of exchange students lived. The buildings were gated and each had doormen that had an eye on who can get in and who couldn’t. I never felt unsafe in this location and we did not encounter any problems regarding this matter. The apartments are like a 10 minute walk from the bs station where the UAI buses pick the students up, but I always ended up going by uber because the buses always left way earlier then they would have had to to make it to uni in time for classes. The uber prices to uni ranged from 1,5 to 4 euros. I read in every exchange report beforehand that everyone lived in the Torres and loved it, I think I would have preferred to live in the center of Viña between the few bars and restaurants there are and closer to a grocery store as we always had to walk next to a very big street to get tp the shops. But I think it also depends on when you are there, during summer there it might be nicer to be directly on the beach in las Torres but during the winter I think its better in the center.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus of UAI is beautiful and they have everything one might need. Library, gym and a cafeteria as well, though the food there is either very very unhealthy or disproportionately expensive. The academic culture is in most of the international courses very laid back and the teachers are mostly flexible regarding absence for travelling etc., I found it a bit sad that there weren’t Spanish learning courses for every level, for me they were either too easy or too hard. I would specifically recommend all courses from Jorge, I did Green Economy, From Big Stick to Free Trade and Globalized LatAm with him. Casanueva was very nice as well, but the workload was a bit higher, still way lower than WU courses though. They also offered extracurriculas that I enjoyed partaking in as you can get in contact with Chileans and get certificates for LinkedIn and applications. I did the English tutoring program and a program in collaboration with the German school in Valparaiso, the workload was okay as well, they were very flexible for traveling and were very thankful for our participation.

5. Every day life in the host country

I found the everyday life to be very stressfull, but that might also have been because I was travelling and staying at my friends place in Santiago so much that I never really got to build a routine and when I was in Viña I always had a lot to catch up on with uni and friends. The public transport in Viña were mostly micros, which are small busses that go very very quickly and rush everywhere and for me did not feel very safe, but they are very cheap, its like ten cents for one way. After some time I mostly went by uber because they were very cheap as well and I preferred to spend a bit more for the comfort. I never felt unsafe in Viña, but I was also mostly not alone outside once it got dark, only once or twice but then I always went by uber. Regarding social and leisure activities, the exchange student team of the uni was very involved and planned a lot of nice thinks like ruining dinner or cocktails and horseback riding or surfing… Some guys played in the Unis football club which I know they enjoyed a lot and people went surfing and to the gym. Also, there is a club where everyone always went to on the weekends, but it was very bad and a bit like loco, I did knot go there a lot but preferred to go to Santiago or travel somewhere else on the weekends.

6. Testimonial

My highlight of the exchange was definitely all of the travels that I did. I don't think that it will ever be this easy for me to see as much of a continent as I did during my time in South America. While everyday life was challenging for me I still look back on my exchange to Chile as one of the best things I ever did. It's definitely not an "easy" destination but perfect if you want to challenge yourself, gain perspectives that only a few can get and get a new sense of understanding for other cultures and Latin Americas standing in the world, economically and politically speaking. It was exactly what I wanted, an adventure for a determinable time that would push me to my limits so I could learn more about myself but I wouldn't want to change my life in Vienna for the one I lived in Chile for a longer period of time and it also made me appreciate what I have at home in Vienna and confirmed that Chile was an incredible place to experience for a semester, even if I wouldn't choose it as a long-term home.