Dangerous expensive accepting city that taught me about the world and myself. Past Review
By Chris S (Trinity University) - abroad from 02/04/2013 to 06/24/2013 with
CIEE: Sao Paulo - Business & Culture
Absolutely. Learned to not worry about little things, care less about what people think about me. I learned that even in an extremely unsafe place, people are still good and I felt safe at the same time. I learned to be friends with anyone, and not take things personally. I learned to break away from groups and trust myself. It was an extremely worthwhile experience.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
the food in Brazil is great, but my program was expensive and the hosts did not feed me enough |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A |
| * Safety: |
It's not safe. For 5 months I didn't walk on the street without wondering if I was going to be robbed. Multiple of my friends had incidents including being held up at gunpoint in a restaurant. I almost had a firework/explosive explode 10 feet from me when I got caught in a riot. Brazilian people are good but the city is not safe. |
| 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 is very expensive to live in Sao Paulo. Grocery stores aren't bad but even decent restaurants are pricey. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure you get your money's worth from the program if they are supposed to feed you. It was awkward with me because the program was expensive but they barely paid the hosts enough, so i felt bad complaining. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 8 years of Spanish but zero Portuguese |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice before you go. If you speak Spanish it will be frustrating since they're so similar but it will help. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 10+ |
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? | How much it was going to cost on top of program expenses and how stressful class registration would be. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
