South America boasts of such a diverse culture, landscape diversity, full of energy life and spirit that it is easy to find something of interest there for any kind of persons. A contrast between the colonial sprawls of high energy cities and pure, raw natural beauty of the place is what has earned South America the reputation that it has. Yes it might not be the jet-set and cheap life that the continent of Europe might offer for example but the amount of experience gained in worth the amount of money spent.
International Students In South America
When it comes to higher education abroad, it also offers relatively cost-effective programs and courses for all subjects and fields of life. The number of international students in South America is increasing everyday given this rich background and attractions and a lot of international students are choosing to let go of other options for higher education abroad in favor of South America. This can also be because of how affordable this place can be to study abroad. A lot of universities ranked highly on the world rankings are from this place and they are always interested in accepting students from all over the world.
Everything You Need To Know About Studying Abroad In South America
There are certain things that not everyone is aware of when it comes to knowing the place that they are choosing to visit in order to gain higher education abroad. This proves true for South America as well and hence we talk here about some things international students considering higher education in South America must keep in mind.
The confusion often exists between Latin and South America and a lot of people believe they are the same thing. However, the place is a geographical entity which is essentially a subcontinent south of Central America. It is also a part of the cultural entity which comprises of all the regions where Spanish and Portuguese is spoken. These also include Central America, Mexico as well as parts of the West Indies and Caribbean.
Learn more: Best Scholarship Opportunities For International Students In Africa
They are famous for their rich and colorful culture and attract millions of tourists every year who come just in order to experience this richness. The language spoken and understood most well locally is Spanish and is the official spoken language. Other smaller entities in the regions have their own dialects and languages as well however which are beyond the scope of this article. They widely practice the Catholic version of Christianity and have plenty of religious celebrations being carried out over the course of each year such as Ash Wednesday etcetera. The richness of culture might also be attributed to almost every little region having their own form of celebrations for a variety of things.
The cost of accommodation for studying abroad in South America is dependent on the place where one chooses to study. Some cities are quite on the expensive side but they come with a great university life for international students in South America. These include Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro and come to par with some places in the United States and the UK when it comes to cost of accommodation. This is why many international students choose the cheaper options such as Ecuador or Peru etcetera.
It is pertinent for international students in South America to know that travelling by plane in Latin American countries falls a bit on the expensive side however in order to aid those who can’t afford this some very good and budget friendly options are available as well. Hence there is something for everyone. These other options might even turn out to be cheaper than taking the public bus. A lot of people prefer travelling by bus however because of the earthquake prone nature of the region so trains aren’t run on some days. Tickets can be bought online and other options such as metros and taxis are also readily available.
Learn More: Best Universities in South America for International Students
It is taken in stride that football is akin to religion for the South
Americans however this is as true as gospel. They take their sports very seriously and football isn’t the only one. They also have rugby, volleyball, cycling and even the all American sport: Baseball.
South American is widely known for their interest in dancing and various international awards have been claimed by the nationals in this field. They expect everyone to dance however and it does not have to be perfect. It is their way of connecting to each other and the environment.
When international students here are not studying, they can go out for plenty of activities, along with the two mentioned before. Skiing is one such activity and South Americans love doing adventurous activities like these hence the ready availability of them. They also have snowboarding, sandboarding, paragliding and rafting available for those who are interested. If you would rather have a slow lazy day of reading a book, basking in the sun and sipping on your drink then beaches are there as well for you to fulfill this need.
Now for the actual student life in South America, as mentioned above, they boast of plenty of universities that are ranked highly on the world charts and have students enrolling from all parts of the world for the quality of education provided there along with other opportunities for career development and growth. Science and Engineering students particularly prefer Pontifical Universidad Catholica de Chile as they have made whopping advances in the field of sciences in the recent years and QS rating system marks it number one on the list.
Learn more: Top Destinations To Intern Abroad In 2022
Another prestigious university for international students in South America interested in studying Law is Universidad de Sao Paolo and takes plenty of international students from all over the world based on their academic excellence. If any international students are interested in business schools then those are also not only readily available but highly ranked amongst international business schools for example Tecnológico de Monterrey’s business school. Universidad de Buenos Aires is great for liberal arts programs and advanced Spanish immersion programs. Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, Universidad Veritas, Universidad San Francisco de Quito and Universidad de la Habana are also some of the great choices and offer wholesome university life for international students in South America.
Hence it can be ascertained from these statistics that there is something for everyone and students can choose these institutions based on whatever field they would like to pursue professionally. Both undergraduate and post-graduate to doctorate degrees are awarded at these schools and some vocational schools are also out there for diploma degrees and such.
Another thing an international student in South America can really use is the knowledge about the myriads of study programs that they can avail. Many of these come with all the housing and tourism issues resolved beforehand so you can enjoy your time to the fullest without having to worry about anything. Some of these are:
- International Studies Abroad in Peru.
- CEA Study Abroad in Vina del Mar, Chile
- Florianópolis – Business, Environmental Studies, Brazil
- IES Abroad, Santiago
- Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA), Argentine Universities Program
- ISA (International Studies Abroad): Valparaíso & Viña del Mar, Chile
- CEA Study Abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- IES Abroad Buenos Aires: Advanced Spanish Immersion
- USAC: Chile: Santiago – Spanish Language, Culture, International Studies
- Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA): Advanced Language and Culture in Buenos Aires
- ISA (International Studies Abroad): Cusco, Peru
- CEA Study Abroad in Bogotá, Colombia
- IES Abroad Buenos Aires-Latin American Societies & Cultures
- USAC Uruguay: Montevideo – Spanish Language, Agribusiness, Viticulture, and Gender Studies
- Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA): Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Making The Most Of Your Student Life In South America
Some other things to remember as an international student in South America are actually some mistake to not make lest they mess up your study abroad experience. Some of the most commonly made mistakes by international student in any study abroad destination are thinking all the countries in the region are the same. This does not hold true for any place and especially not for South American countries.
It is suggested therefore, to make sure you explore all places as much as possible while staying within your budgets since you don’t want to party too hard and miss out on your studies. However travelling too much or only studying when you are there is also not advised. It is better to find a fine balance between learning and exploration to get the full effect of your student life in South America and study abroad experience. Some students also end up not taking immersion programs or language studies too seriously since they believe they won’t have to apply this knowledge anywhere.
However, this is a crucial part of your study abroad experience and as international student pursuing higher education in South America, you might also go ahead and partake in a career abroad as this will surely come in handy. Another mistake to beware of is mismanaging your finances as the colorful nature of the region means plenty of temptations and opportunities to spend money however caution is advised since that money could go to gaining other experiences instead of being spend on accumulating materials.
Last but not the least, there are many scholarship opportunities available for international students studying abroad in South America. President’s Undergraduate Scholarships as it says is for international students in South America looking for undergraduate studies.
Some post-graduate scholarship programs are Chevening Scholarships, BE.CAR Scholarships (Argentina) and Conicyt-Imperial Scholarships (Chile). Research students can also undertake financial aid programs such as President’s PhD Scholarships, Ciência sem Fronteiras (Brazil) and Conicyt-Imperial Scholarships (Chile).
About Post Author
