Great Friends, Great Views, and Unforgettable Experiences! June 16, 2026

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

As far as workload, exams, lectures, etc., the classes were not very difficult. The work felt very manageable at all times and there was never a time when I felt that the expectations were unreasonable. The field expeditions were very fun and informative and the faculry emphasized having a long term repository of previous students work to refrence as well. There does need to be some improvement on the organizational side of the courses. We rarely ever knew what our grades were thorughout the semester and we found out about certain responsibities such as the final exam well over halfway through the program. Professors were very available though and had office hours and just worked in the building where you go to class and live so that made it super easy to answer questions. They were also super great, approachable people!

On-site administration of your program

This was definitely the part of the program I was most impressed with. The staff had all of the logistics so perfectly coordinated and at the same time were incredibly adaptable and able to make things happen quickly and efficiently. There was never a sense that things were out of control, which I can really appreciate when abroad.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I really enjoyed the living situation. The dorms were nothing special but they were exactly what was needed and our cohort got along really well which is a bonus. Everyone lives in the same building in a hostal-style living situation. One side has two rooms which hold 6 people each and a 4 toilet & 4 shower shared bathroom. The other side has more rooms and they have less people each. Those rooms have private bathrooms.

The food was really good! It was basically just a rotating selection of various buffet foods every day including potatos, french fries, rice, chicken, beef, pork, fish, cooked vegetables, and a salad bar. The chefs were very kind and accomodating of allergies/dietary preferences.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Given that we all lived together in the same buildling and not in homestays, it was not super integrated within the community on a consistent basis. They made up for that signficantly with a variety of optional weekly offerings to do various activities in the local community with the locals. The best way to make this aspect better is to participate in those and just talk to people when you go into town on your own.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have an experience with healthcare, but it seemed relatively accesible but again, the administration was so good that they would definitely be able to ensure that you get the proper treatment.

Puerto Natales felt very safe. Obviously the same situational awareness practices need to be involved but very few people reported bad experiences. The center does have curfew and a rule that you can't go out past dark or before light alone.

This is a place that is so difficult to get to and navigate the way we were able to. I don't think I will every be able to go this in depth in this part of the world again so I am very glad to have done it.

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

Food was a little under american prices. Taxis were a little expensive for the long distances.

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

We had a Spanish class that was great although only once a week but they emphasized that we interact as much as possible with people in the area.

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• Americans
• International Students

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• International Students

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• Outdoor Trips
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• Academic Organization
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• Unnecessary Rules

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer