Michael Gläser is a Psychology student at the University of Luxembourg and currently carrying out his mandatory study abroad semester. However, the destination he has chosen for his semester abroad is somewhat exotic: he is studying at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay. Michael kindly agreed to answer some questions about his stay in Uruguay.

Why did you decide to spend your mobility term in Montevideo?

I have always wanted to study somewhere exotic and get to know different study systems. As the University of Luxembourg offers an opportunity to study in South America in the framework of the Global exchange programme and as I was interested in Spanish language, Uruguay simply was the perfect fit.

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

I found it incredibly humid and hot and I kept wondering why the buses didn’t stop unless you waved them over quite aggressively. I also found that there was a lot of Reggaeton music “in the air" and a lot of Chinese cars all over the place.

In how far is living and studying at your host university different from what you know at the University of Luxembourg?

My host university, the "Universidad de la República" in Montevideo, follows a rather humanistic teaching style, allowing students to choose among many different courses. There is a very individual component to the studies here.

As to life in Montevideo, I was surprised that it is not as cheap as I thought before coming here. The monthly living costs are comparable to Luxembourg. The system of student housing is also quite different. It is a little less expensive than in Luxembourg, but the downside is that there are very few individual rooms. I chose to find individual apartments instead. Every 30 days I change for another one, so I get to see different corners of the city and different living styles. This way, it is also easier to get in touch with local people living and working here and I enjoy that aspect.

Thank you, Michael, and good luck with your studies in Uruguay!