Chile: Santiago - Spanish Language, Culture, International Studies

I would highly recommend studying abroad through USAC and if you are interested in Latin American politics, business or geography Chile is the place for you! Chile has so much to offer, you can visit the Pacific coast, the driest desert in the world, the Andes or Patagonia and the Chilean Antarctic. Spending time in Santiago, I was able to learn about Chile's history and also learn about the Latin American region as a whole. I loved being their during the Fall semester, because I was able to participate in the Fiestas Patrias which are the independence celebrations in September. During my time there, I was also able to intern at a local nonprofit with USAC's help and support in arranging it. One of my other favorite parts of my experience was living with a host family and being able to make connections with a local family.

I chose Chile because I wanted to discover and ultimately fall in love with a country I knew nothing about prior to my choosing to live and study there. The USAC Santiago program had all of the program aspects I was looking for: the ability to have all my classes in Spanish, the accessibility to traveling advice (and friends to travel with), and the option to live with a host family. I loved my professors (especially Señor Julián Gutiérrez); they made Spanish fun and surprisingly easier to learn. I loved my program director and advisors; they were so easy to talk to and always were down to talk and have fun. The friends I made are all super unique and amazing in their own ways (both local university students and the students sharing my foreign exchange experience in Santiago). But my host family was the best aspect of it all; they taught me to cook, corrected my Spanish, and accepted me as their own. That was definitely the best part of the entire thing - knowing that, even in a foreign country with zero familiarity, there is a family for you that accepts you and that you could always turn to.
As for some advice: definitely opt for a host family for the ultimate integration experience. Apartments are cool, and you definitely have some more freedom, but when it comes to living in your typical Santiago barrio with a cool family that cooks and cleans for you as well as gives you unlimited advice and guidance, you really can't go wrong. Practice your Spanish as much as you can, even if you're embarrassed! People will always appreciate your effort and you will definitely learn more than you ever thought possible. Finally, don't be afraid to travel! Chile is the most amazing place and country ever, and South America is an entirely different world (geographically, at least). Take advantage of your time in a big city, but also don't forget that the Andes and Torres del Paine are waiting for you!

I studied in Santiago de Chile with USAC in spring 2019. My experience was incredible for a number of reasons.

First, the staff members were amazing; they had a connection with all of the students and went above and beyond to help us out with things like weekend travel, navigating the culture of Chile, and even job interviews and recommendations.

Second, the classes were great. I took a full-time course load all in Spanish as a Spanish language learner and I felt that I was challenged while still having the ability to enjoy my time abroad without stressing too much about my grades; I would definitely say that the courses were focused more on the learning process and content than on tests and assessments.

Finally, Chile is just an amazing place and USAC is an amazing program. I lived with a Chilean woman with whom I still keep in contact, and I am so grateful for that relationship that I wouldn't have gotten in other programs that don't have homestay options. I felt safe and comfortable while in Santiago, while still pushing the boundaries of my understanding of the world. It was an experience I will never forget and yeah, I love telling people I went to Chile because that's way cooler than the normal study abroad countries.

Here's what I think you should know if you're considering going to Santiago:
-the food can be bland and even when it's spiced, it's still never spicy... so bring your favorite hot sauce
-accept that public transportation is your best friend
-it literally has something for everybody: a recent military dictatorship for the politics and history buffs, incredible landscapes for those who love spending time in nature, lots of religious culture for those who like that, street food because nobody dislikes street food, etc.
-if you carry a purse, make sure it zips! pick-pockets are so talented
-a homestay is 100% a must, every student in the program who didn't do a homestay expressed regret at some point
-keep an open mind! Santiago was really similar to my home in some ways and worlds apart in others, but the most important thing for me was to keep an open mind and to love it as it was
-take a billion pictures, call your mom, and have tons of fun!!!

Studying abroad in Santiago, Chile really was a life-changing and eye-opening experience for me as well as many of my peers from the program. Studying in Santiago did more than expose us to a new culture. It changed us all for the better! During our time away from home, we all grew and become close to each other. We made new friends that over time become like family. We discovered sides of ourselves that we never knew and at times we also exposed ourselves to new adventures out of our comfort zone, that even in our wildest dreams seemed impossible.

Chile is not just a beautiful country because of its unique sceneries. Chile is a beautiful country because Chileans make it beautiful. All the people from the program welcomed us with a warmth that allowed us to feel comfortable in a country that was thousands of miles away from home. Leaving Chile at the end of the semester felt like the day I had left the states. It felt like I was leaving home.

During the (awfully short) four months I spent in Santiago, I met people who became some of my best friends, learned a lot from my professors and the international students I met, and probably had the best time of my life. I don’t know what it was, but the culture USAC and the students created was very homey and everyone got along even if we wouldn’t have hung out normally.

Everyone was super friendly, welcoming, and always up to create new friends and explore new places in the city. The advisors were more like friends, and they made the students feel welcomed right away with their jokes. I never got homesick and I always felt like I was growing as a person. I grew a lot while being abroad and if I have any regrets, it’s that I didn’t study abroad for a year.

Through this program Santiago, Chile, I truly felt like I was home. The most scared I ever was about the trip was getting on the plane to first head over there. The idea of being away from home for a length of time that I never had spent before, to go to a country which spoke a language I barely managed, all while still going to school and trying to pass with decent grades seemed like an insurmountable challenge that I feared I lacked the capability to complete.
But then I landed. As soon as I got off of the plane with the group of 40-something other students, probably feeling the same way as I did, there was a smiling face who worked with USAC. Immediately I felt like I was in the company those who would not let me get too overwhelmed, and would do all they could to make sure I came out of the other side of the semester.
The city is marvelous, and the Santiaguinos are such a wonderful people. There was never a shortage of things to do on weekends, from hiking trails through the mountains, or taking an hour bus ride to the beach, or play a soccer match in a park with friends... But for me, the main reason I fell in love with Santiago and loved doing it through USAC was the Santiago USAC staff and my Chilean family I lived with who worked with them. They were guides who first showed me so many of the great things there were to do, they were support when I couldn't reach my bank or use my money so they let me use their phones to contact the States or made sure I had food and money for transportation, they let me cry on their shoulder when I felt overwhelmed and they would motivate me to see inner-strength I didn't even know I had. And if I cried to them, they would call me the next day to make sure I am getting by. The USAC staff in Santiago and my Chilean family made me feel welcome in Santiago, and thinking back I consider them family.
I left feeling not 100% of a United States citizen, but some percentage of Chilean too, which was my goal all along: to broaden my horizons and experience a great challenge. I can't say enough good about the city and the program, and as I finish writing this and reflecting over my time there my heart aches, missing those wonderful people, missing seeing mountains out of my window, missing taking the metro all over a city that has such a rich culture, missing my Santiaguino life. I will go back. 100%.

Santiago, Chile is an incredible location to study abroad. Full of history, beautiful architecture, and with its own unique culture, Santiago is perfect for immersing oneself in South America. As far as activities, there is next to nothing that Santiago--and especially Chile--cannot offer. Within the city, there are a plethora of museums, gorgeous parks, wonderful restaurants, scenic views, and other sources of entertainment. Outside the city, beautiful hikes, ocean views, and even skiing are but a weekend trip away.

Unfortunately, for most Americans, Chile is one of the more obscure countries that many people aren't familiar with, but this offers an exhilarating opportunity to broaden one's cultural horizons and global awareness. Personally, because of this, I felt Chile to be completely and intimately mine. It wasn't the typical study abroad trip to Italy or France where multitudes of students flock every summer to be more tourist than student, it was an opportunity to become engaged as an international scholar in.

If you're looking for an opportunity to travel to a beautiful country with views that rival any and all others around the world, choose Chile. If you're looking for a country that will allow you to deeply immerse yourself in the real life of the culture and not be just another tourist, choose Chile. I was challenged academically, I was absolutely challenged culturally, and met some incredibly wonderful people along the way--because I chose Chile.

Santiago, Chile is a wonderful place to study abroad especially with the USAC program. This was a very exciting and entertaining program from the culture to the lifestyle to the program directors and professors. At first it was hard for me because I did not know the language as well as I probably should have, but I progressed and learned a lot thanks to the directors, advisers and professors, they helped me to learn words and phrases and made it easy and fun for me to learn and not be discouraged. I would recommend for future students to learn basic words and phrases to get around and have small conversations so you don't always have to rely on others for knowledge. Learn quickly and talk to your peers and supervisors in Spanish and make a strong effort to learn the language and be willing to mess up, even if you don't want to look dumb, it is necessary to learn and talk because practice makes perfect. This helped me to progress and my host family was wonderful, I could talk to them and they helped me through my struggles in the language. I recommend making a budget and each time you spend money put it in to a chart and label them with food, trips, transportation..etc just so you know what is spent and so you can be on budget, this was important to my time as I was able to do everything I wanted to do and still stay within a budget. My favorite memory was traveling to the South of Chile with the program group and bonding more with the USAC family and having fun all together as a group. Overall it was a wonderful program and I progressed in my language, knowledge and personal goals, I highly recommend this program.