Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Happiest semester ever July 01, 2024

By (Conservation Biology, Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/25/2024 to 06/26/2024 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad - Middlebury in Florianópolis

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to have fun on my own, and solo-travels are life changing.

Review Photos

Middlebury Schools Abroad - Middlebury in Florianópolis Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

They are super generous in grading assignments. There are very few assignments and never any homework. Most classes are once a week for 3-4 hours and are lecture style, so not very engaging. Difficult to communicate any academic related disabilities.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

It was difficult to communicate with the director of the program, but our cultural mentor was excellent.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Not a lot of flavor. Not a lot of options to eat different types of cuisines. Eating at the RU is great and cheap though.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had a medical emergency and had to go to 3 different hospitals (1 public, 2 private) until I was medically attended. Cultural mentor accompanied me the whole way, so I felt supported.

* Safety:

Safest city I have lived in.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I love living in small cities where I can also explore beaches, hike, go out, enjoy hobbies, meet fun people everywhere.

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
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? 399
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • The people
  • Access to nature
  • Skate community
* What could be improved?
  • Timely communication with director
  • Radically lowering program costs
  • Food
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that my classes would be cancelled for 2 months due to strike

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Micologia Aplicada
Course Department: Botânica
Instructor: Maria Alice Neves
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments: This class was fun! Many non-biology majors in the class, and it was a very inclusive and engaging way to learn about fungi. We went on field trips, had lots of guest speakers come in (from businesswomen to brewery owners) and your grade is based on the final project which is coming up with a business idea!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Biologia de Abelhas Sociais
Course Department: Biologia celular, embriologia e genética
Instructor: Josefina Steiner
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments: Don't take this course. Lots of extremely dry, ramble-y and unengaging lectures. Learning objectives were vague and made it difficult to properly study for tests. Highlight of the class were the field trips and going to different urban parks to look at bee nests. You have to write a paper after each field trip (not mentioned in the syllabus). Classmates were incredibly friendly.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Estudos Afro-brasileiros
Course Department: Antropologia
Instructor: Alexandra Eliza Vieira Alencar
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments: More of a liberal artsy class. We often meditated, danced, stood in circles and made music in class. It's still very lecture heavy, but interspersed with grounding meditations and group discussions.
Credit Transfer Issues: