Erasmus Experience in Temuco, Chili by Inès

Why did you choose to go to Temuco, Chili?

To learn Spanish and because South America was quite unknown for me

How long is your stay? How much financial aid do you receive?

4 ½ months (mid-February to the end of June).

No financial aid

Source

What is the student environment like in Temuco?

Very nice, the students are very welcoming.

There are very few foreigners (outside of America) so they are always delighted to welcome us and speak with us!

Would you recommend the city and the university of Temuco to other students?

Personally, I have 3 days of lessons per week, so I have 4 days per week to visit the country and I go travel nearly every weekend. I would therefore recommend this destination to travellers. Otherwise, the city isn’t particularly interesting.

What is the food like in this country?

Chileans eat particularly badly here (there's junk food everywhere, more-or-less all the time).

You can nevertheless find delicious regional dishes, but not on every street corner.

Did you have any difficulty finding accommodation in Temuco?

Yes, as the universities don’t generally have student accommodation.

In reality, the majority of students live with host families (full board or non full board - i. e 0 to 3 meals per day prepared by the family). You can find small advertisements everywhere and the prices are quite low. Nevertheless, be careful as the quality is rarely good - you should visit the place before accepting. You’ll inevitably find something.

I finally found something amazing but a little expensive for here: a large house with 23 students; each one has a bedroom (there are a few double rooms) with or without a bathroom; the kitchen, living room and large terrace are communal. The people are really nice. 23 people may sound scary, but ultimately it works really well! There is also a cleaning lady who tidies the communal areas and the bedrooms every day.

What is the cost of living in Temuco?

There’s something for every budget.

Rent can be a little expensive, but it also depends on what you want as an apartment.

For food, it’s not really that cheap - let’s say that the price is adequate. For fruits and vegetables, for example, there is Féria Pinto, which is very well-known, where the prices are tiny but the quality is there!

For nights out, the drinks in bars are generally less expensive!

Source

How do you find learning the language? Did you go to language lessons organized by the university?

No lessons organized by the university.

The beginning was difficult as my level wasn’t great. Chileans speak very quickly and don’t articulate much, they ‘eat’ a lot of their letters and they have their own expressions, but you get used to it quickly and you learn very fast!

Sometimes, when you ask them to repeat more slowly, they aren’t even able to…. ergo, you’ll progress quickly!

What is the most economical way to get to Temuco from your city?

The plane to Santiago, then the bus!

What places would you recommend for a night out in Temuco?

There are a few nice nightclubs. Otherwise, you should go out on theavenida Alemania, that’s where all the bars are!

And to eat in Temuco? What are your favorite places?

I don’t eat out often as there are fast-food restaurants everywhere. Otherwise, I would say that it’s very nice and traditional to go to a bar and order a dish to share (it’s very popular) with chips, meat, vegetables, eggs (there are variations but it’s delicious)!

And what cultural visits do you recommend?

There aren't many things to do in Temuco but the Mapuche culture is very present and interesting. I recommend travelling around Temuco, there so many things to see!

Any advice to give to future students in Temuco?

If you are coming to learn Spanish, it’s fantastic! If you are coming here for the European Erasmus experience that you’ve heard a lot about, honestly, it’s not the right place!