Montevideo: Fun & friendly country, lacking exchange program Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was what I expected being an exchange student. Although there are classes specifically for exchange students, I would recommend taking at least one with the general student population. The teachers seem to care a lot more about the students success and it feels more like a school setting rather than mandatory sitting and listening. The educational system in Uruguay has classes starting as early as 8am and classes that start as late as 9pm or 10pm. As an exchange student, all my classes were between 130-6.

On-site administration of your program

There is no exchange student program. When you first arrive, you meet up with all the exchange students for 2 or 3 days of get to know each other activities. The program leaders fly through the important information (bus passes, signing up for classes, etc) and so if you don't have a host family to help you, you're out on your own. The head of the advising is not friendly and even rolled her eyes at me after asking a question about finals. If you are very independent, this may be your place. My expectations were not met, but this could be due to the strong program at my home university.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Eat with your host family to save money. Otherwise, pizza is really cheap. Chivitos are really expensive.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The students at the University are often busy and I must say I didn't have a single friend from Universidad Catolica. Through my host family I met some of the nicest students (from other Universities) and spent a lot of time with them. I would highly recommend staying for a major holiday. I stayed for Christmas and it is such a cultural experience I am really glad that I did. The only cultural event planned by my University was a field trip to their "State Fair". That field trip was a lot of fun.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The safety of Montevideo is one of those things where you will be just fine if you follow common sense. I lived an hour away from the University and often arrived after dark, walking 10 minutes from the Bus Stop to my house. I never ran into any problems. However, Ciudad Vieja (the Old City) should be avoided at night and areas near the University aren't somewhere I would prefer to walk alone at after the sun set.

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

LIVE WITH A HOST FAMILY. I learned all my Spanish at home, speaking with my host mom, dad, brother, and friends. The best way to learn is to practice and be prepared to make mistakes. Most people in Uruguay speak some English but if you keep speaking Spanish to them, that's how they will respond.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Host Family

• The Exchange Program as a whole