James Scholar Brazil Trip Past Review
By Thomas D (University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign) - abroad from 05/14/2012 to 05/25/2012 with
Campus Brasil: Traveling - Faculty-Led Study Tours in Brazil (MBA, Undergrad Business, Science, etc)
This experience was the best two weeks of my life. I've only been home for a week and I'm already planning my next visit back to Brazil. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Very educational experience through company visits, University lectures, and cultural activities. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Guides always were in charge and knowledgable about what activities we were doing and where we were going. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Any deficiencies in housing were due less to the program and more to the culture shock I experienced. I still felt very comfortable in the accommodations we had. |
| * Food: |
Loved every aspect of Brazilian food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Even though I stuck out as a sore thumb as a Gringo, the guides did a great job of showing us the cultural aspects of Brazil. Also, we participated in several social activities with Brazilian citizens. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Not a problem |
| * Safety: |
Always felt that my safety was priority number one. I never worried about my safety or any other members of our group. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It was expensive but very manageable if you prepared for the trip. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be prepared to spend the majority of your money on food and beverages. At bars you don't pay until you leave so be mindful of how much your bill is totaling up to. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would have known how close of friends I would become with the tour guides. Also, Portuguese is very difficult to understand - it's not at all like Spanish! |
