An incredible semester in one of the most beautiful places on Earth Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Round River Conservation Studies in Chilean Patagonia is a fantastic program to say the least. It provides invaluable field experience in an incredibly remote and beautiful part of the world, while exposing students to a new culture, environment, and language in a friendly, non-stressful way. The academics weren't incredibly rigorous, but that gave me a welcome opportunity to learn for the sake of learning, focus on research, and experience the place in a way that would have been impossible had the academic courses been as rigorous as in a normal semester in college. It was the adventure of a lifetime, with a fantastic group and great instructors, and I came away with an in-depth natural history knowledge of Patagonia, and an understanding of the complexity and importance of conservation in the real world.

On-site administration of your program

Everything was extremely laid back in terms of the program's operation, which allowed us the flexibility we needed to be able to function smoothly in a highly variable environment, but at times things felt a bit disorganized as a result.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in my own tent for 3 months, which was what I went into it expecting, and loved every second of it. A bonus was that I got a nice bed all to myself on our 5-day homestay!

The food was primarily backpacking food, which I expected. Lots of simple carbohydrates and not much in terms of fruit in vegetables. It's clearly not RRCS's fault - food availability in Patagonia is a bit slim.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Since the program did not require spanish skills, interaction with locals was pretty much entirely self-motivated. Still, opportunities were plentiful and I felt like I built some great relationships with some of the local people we worked with. RRCS definitely provides the opportunities to feel integrated, but doesn't force them on students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Professional healthcare options are typically at least an 8-hr drive away on a dirt road, but the instructors were completely willing to make this happen if the necessity arose (it didn't). The instructors are all WFR certified at least and were very competent at dealing with the minor injuries sustained by group members.

It doesn't get much safer than Cochrane, Chile. The town only has 3,500 residents and we all felt very safe despite our lack of fluency in the language. I left most of my valuables simply zipped in a tent, as did all of us.

This program was incredible; I would do it again in a heartbeat. Our instructors were fantastic and felt more like friends than professors, the academic setting was extremely low-stress, and the 7 other students on the program were some of the best people I've ever met.

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

The program did not require students to spend any money, everything was covered.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Many of us had little to no Spanish skills going into the program, so its use was not required, however instructors encouraged us to use it whenever we could. There was also a home-stay component where Spanish skills were necessary to communicate.

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• Other
• Host Family
• Hostel

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Amount of time spent in incredible and remote places
• Instructors' friendliness, accessible knowledge and laid-back attitude
• Fantastic group dynamics

• Complexity of research projects and objectives
• Organization of academics
• Food availability (not RRCS's fault!)

The Avid Adventurer