How to choose a university exchange destination in Latin America?
This is one of the things that many students look forward to when entering business school exchange at a partner university. But you should before choosing the destination of your exchange ask about and see if the country is adapted to the student’s resources, desired level of security, wishes… We will show you in this article. Things to consider when choosing a destination in Latin America.
A slightly different education from France
The first thing to consider when going on a university exchange is to make sure that you understand the language which courses are taught. There are courses in Latin America Spanish either Portuguese Like in Brazil. A B2 level certificate in Spanish or Portuguese will be required to go to these countries.
In addition, the quality of education is not the same as in France. Indeed, this may vary depending on the universities and their level of reputation. Therefore, it is necessary to get information about it international rankings it shows whether the level of education provided is good or not. The Internet is also a real goldmine for finding information thanks to the school in question statements International students or locals on YouTube.
Read more: Top 100 universities in the world in 2022.
One last point about foreign universities: depending on the school you go to, definitely pay a higher or lower tuition fee. This should be taken into account depending on your standard of living in France and whether you can afford to pay a small or large part of these costs.
Very affordable cost of living for foreigners
Brazil and Mexico are the most developed countries in Latin America with a GDP that is 60% of that of South America for Brazil and 84% for Mexico. Despite this, the cost of living in these two countries is very low compared to France. In fact, it is the cost of living 53% down. The lowest indicator in Latin America is Bolivia. The situation of the countries is quite similar, which is beneficial from the student’s point of view housing or shopping what are the biggest costs.
For the most disadvantaged students, they may benefit from assistance such as an exchange outside of Europe international mobility assistance. It is 400€ per month. For foreigners, knowing that it can be difficult to find a small job while studying can be a plus.
Security: a dangerous Latin America
In Spanish lessons, we often talk about armed groups in Latin America, drug cartels… But when we are in France, we don’t understand how these countries can be. dangerous to strangers.
Many migrants in Mexico want to cross the border to the United States. Sometimes children are kidnapped to work for drug cartels. FARCS no longer exists in Colombia. Still armed groups continues to spread terror outside the big cities. Moreover, the violence in Colombia is also related to the territorial wars of these groups. cocaine plantations. These plantations currently account for 5% of Colombia’s GDP. In some neighborhoods like Brazil favelas it is also dangerous because of the prevailing poverty.
Read more: Drug trafficking in Latin America
Latin America is also dangerous for him diseases. Before you go, see which countries are most affected by dangerous diseases like Zika or Malaria and get the necessary vaccines to reduce their impact. Since the healthcare system is more expensive and less efficient than in France, to provide medicine Before you go.
Added to all this political instability. For example, in Peru, the president is often dismissed due to corruption problems. We can also find strong economic instability As in Venezuela, where inflation is 686% in 2021.
Last word
Ask about it This is why it is important before leaving in every Latin American country. This includes the level of security, cost of living, etc. allows checking. Here are some links to learn more about each country:
Read more: Week 1, Latin American country #1 (Chile)
Read more: 1 week, Latin American country #2 (Nicaragua)
Read more: 1 week, Latin America #3 country (Mexico)
