ISA Brasil: A lifetime of experiences in just 4 months! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Brasil's culture is very laid back and relaxed and the same goes for their educational system. I think its safe to say that as an American student, we were secluded from typical classes with locals, which I think lead to us anticipating the classroom experience to be similar to that of an American University, which was not the case. ISA has a fantastic program, but some, not all of the Professors did not meet the standards of most of the students. The grading policy is also a bit hazy as they grade on a number scale from 1-10 and the work load is not heavy.

On-site administration of your program

ISA was incredible, they are there to help you every single step of the way and they know almost everything there is to know about the city and culture. If you have a question that they can't answer on the spot, they will find it for you. The only issue I had was with the Professors, which was separate from ISA, as they worked with the local University for available Professors.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

ISA arranged housing for me, which was incredibly helpful and I think I extremely was well placed. I live in the center of the city and I do not like cities, it is a big change for me coming from the country, but it is the perfect place. Its only a 5 minute walk to class and 10 minute walk to most clubs and bars; the beaches are close but the bus takes a while to get there. My host family treats me like their daughter (they even call me that) they provide us with everything we need just like parents would, yet we are still independent. Travelling is super easy because the main bus terminals are less than a 10 minute walk as well.

Our host parents always ask us what we like and don't like to eat, and they now know that dinner is our big meal in the States and that we eat earlier than Brasilian culture, so we've made an in between compromise and they make extra food for dinner as well. They also have a restaurant so they allow us to eat lunch there every day and its very good, typical Brasilian buffet style food. A lot of meat, rice, beans, and fresh fruit. California Sucos is the best and closest place to go in Centro for any kind of juice, coffee, and even natural sandwiches. Brasilians certainly love their chocolate and sweets; sweet pastel, sweet sushi, sweet pizza, you name it and they have a sweet version of it basically. In all honesty, I am overly satisfied with food here, sometimes its too much, but then I remind myself "Hey I'm in Brasil, so eat up!"

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had the privilege of experiencing Carnival in Brasil, everything surrounding it was incredible! And all of the planned ISA trips were so great! I loved every second of them. They were informational and appealed to every type of person. Today we went to visit a German village and saw museums as well as a brewery and a crystal factory, so the diversity in the planning is very good and nicely coordinated.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I am always warned about being safe and careful at night, but I've never felt unsafe here. There are some sketchy things that go on in the streets, but you see that every where, even in the U.S. As for health, I did not have to go see a doctor at all, but I know that every time someone was sick, the director would schedule an appointment right away.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I was able to practice language within the classroom and at home with my host family. But, honestly I learned way more about the language outside of the classroom and by speaking with my local friends. Some people speak English, most college students, but speaking Portuguese is a must on a daily basis if you intend to get any where.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family