Once in a lifetime experience in Patagonia April 20, 2026
By A student (Earth and Climate Science, Duke University) - abroad from 09/15/2025 to 12/19/2025 with
Round River Conservation Studies - Patagonia, Chile Program
Ecological, cultural, and social knowledge of Cochrane, Aysén, and Chile. I also learned how to chop wood, work on a farm, and improved my cooking skills!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The natural history class is so informative, by the end of the program I could name nearly every species I saw while walking around which was super cool. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
José and Claudia are amazing and were always there to help if needed! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Not the most variety in the world, but I loved cooking in groups and I felt that my cooking skills got a lot better. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
By the end of the program we knew several people in Cochrane through work we had done with the elementary school and cultural exchanges. I appreciated the Chilean staff's effort to make sure we were consistently giving back to our host community. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't personally have any issues, but this is a remote place and hospital facilities are limited. The nearest formal hospital (not just a clinic) is a ~4 hour drive. |
| * Safety: |
No major incidents. You are living on a farm, so there are risks not present in normal university life. However, these are well addressed and if you take appropriate measures and maintain situational awareness you will be ok. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I loved Chile and everyone I interacted with! I gained such deep knowledge of the community both historically and socially but also ecologically. I would recommend this program for anyone looking to have a unique study abroad experience and who is passionate about making a real impact in conservation. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Not much opportunity to spend a lot of money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $10 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | N/A |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Anytime we were in town or speaking with some of the staff members we used spanish. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 303 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Immersion! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The classes are challenging but totally manageable. This is a remote place, but you will still be able to find most basic necessities in the stores and there are a few people who speak english outside of the program. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
