Details

• Chile
• BaWiSo-19
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

I basically did everything I'm always doing in preparation for travelling. I wrote down some things I think maybe 2 months in advance I needed to buy before my exchange and informed myself about the basic necessities I should have or acquire. Also I talked to people who have been there. Especially the flights I had to look out for really early because the prices for flighing oversea are rapidly increasing shortly in advance. Additionally there was some bureaucratic stuff I had to fulfill from both my exchange universities side and WU. I think its really helpful to start a list with checkpoints as soon as you get your spot because there were a lot of things to do coming up over the 6 months before the exchange.

2. Accommodation

Regarding accomodation in Chile, specifically Viña, was really really easy. I don't remember it specifically but I think WU sent us some contacts people collected over the last years or maybe even UAI (exchange university). Anyhow you will get some contacts and easiest was to just ask them directly for flats in Torres del Pacífico because almost all of the exchange students were living in them. Its directly at the beach so really really pretty, nice to live in and not that expensive. You'll have everything you also would have in a flat in vienna because its just a normal residential bulding where also locals live in. Also it was really nice to live close together with all the other students, but you would have to find flatmates on your own. That was also really easy thoudh because at some point there are a lot of whatsappgroups and everybody was just texting in there. In general I would say the main area in Viña is honestly safe, you can walk around even at night and maybe just take an uber if you want to go to Valparaíso or regions a bit more far. Also if you live in the Torres there is a bus to university leaving really close to the apartments like a 5 min walk. Genuinely, you don't need to stress about the apartment, I know a few people who came to Viña without even having a place and still found something in the Torres with other exchangies:)

3. Academic life at host university

The campus is honestly really beautiful and it's in a safe area, so I never felt weird walking around alone, even at night. Compared to WU Vienna the whole academic culture is different too. Classes are smaller here, so the profs actually know who you are and it feels way more personal. Everyone was super nice, always happy to answer questions and you didn't feel like just a number in a huge lecture hall like at WU sometimes. The content was also really interesting and up to date. For course recommendations it really depends on what you study and what courses WU really acclaims in the end for your study program but I needed to pick courses with a business focus. The most popular ones among exchange students were Green Economy; From Big Stick to Free Trade; Socialism, Capitalism and Communism and Strategic Business. I'd recommend all three, they're not just dry business stuff but also give you a bigger picture on economics and politics.

5. Every day life in the host country

For public transport, there are the micros, which are typical Chilean buses. You can get almost everywhere with them and they're very cheap. You just need cash and sometimes the fees were surprisingly high. Safety wise, like I said, I never felt unsafe in Viña. It felt like a normal, relaxed place to live. Social events and sports courses basically all ran through our university, the UAI, which had an incredible amount of offers for that. The buddies were super focused on us exchange students and organized a lot, which was really great and made getting started so much easier. I would definitely recommend joining everything you can, especially in the beginning, because that's how you meet most of the people and I think the UAI made sure that we have the perfect environment for that.

6. Testimonial

Honestly, I loved everything about my exchange and met the most amazing people. I think that had a lot to do with Viña itself, since it's a bit smaller, so you connect with people more easily and live close together. Plus living right by the ocean for a few months was just amazing, surfing, swimming, playing volleyball, and with Valparaíso right next door you also had a proper city with flea markets and cool little shops.