Details

• Chile
• BBE-18
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 6 months

1. Preparation

One of the most crucial things to prepare for in advance is to get an accommodation in Viña del Mar. I contacted a landlord, Marcelo. Pretty cool guy, but you should always push him to answer you as soon as possible, since he forgets a lot :D. Also, make sure you attend all of the online meetings before you leave for the exchange. They give you an opportunity to ask them whatever you want and some useful tips and tricks as well !!

2. Accommodation

To get an accommodation in Viña del Mar it is a challenging mission since most of the landlords are not willing to rent their apartment just for 5-6 months and there are no student residences (but I am not 100% sure). I rented an apartment in "Torres Coraceros", 5min from a huge mall; 7min from the uni shuttlebus that takes you directly to the campus; right on the beach. We were 4 people in a 5-bedroom private apartment. That part of Viña is really safe. Tips: get a phone number from the landlord for a guy that brings potable water bottles to the residential complex, as the tap water tastes horrible.

3. Academic life at host university

Both campuses (Santiago, Viña del Mar) are modern, but quite chaotic. You have a canteen (full meal was 5€), 2 cafés, a gym on the campus (Viña). The culture is really chill, there is not strict dress code and the professors' approach gives you the space for critical thinking and discussion. Their teaching style resembles the on at WU, based on the discussions and active participation during the classes. Though, courses, in my opinion were easier compared to the WU but nevertheless interesting.

5. Every day life in the host country

The public transport is cheap and crazy at the same time. It was a great experience, though a bit of dangerous one :D. We prefered Ubers everywhere we went. Chile is generally considered one of the safest countries in South America, and Viña was no exception. You should be cautious, but not scared when you go out during the night. The social life in Chile was busy, there were parties everyday and leisure activities (organized both by the university and buddies) were: skiing, surfing, organized hikes, city tours (in the vicinity). And a lot of traveling around that region. Once you are registered in their school system, you can attend a lot of sport activities, from a gym session to rock climbing.

6. Testimonial

These 6 months in Chile have been full of exploring new countries, cultures, and making a lot of new friends. From the academic perspective, I have gained the knowledge from the local professors and understood the business environment and obstactles in doing business in South America. On the personal side, I managed to get to know a lot of new countries and learn a lot from the people living there. All of that has shaped my personality and broadened my horizons.