Fun but stressful Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/10/2019 to 12/21/2019 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Niterói
If it wasn't a requirement for my major, I wouldn't have done it.
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. |
I didn't apperciate the fact that for our language writing class we only got half a credit despite the fact we were doing more work there than in other classes. If Middlebury is going to offer a half a credit course, than there must be a balance in terms of workload and expectations. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very inefficient and often times did things at last minute. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Students should be given multiple options beforehand because a lots of the issues I had such as price, house conditions, and living enviornment could have been avoided if there was more transparency. |
| * Food: |
It was very similar to Honduran food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Despite being a latino from Honduran-American origins, it was sometimes hard to intergrate with locals because of the stereotypes that my idenity embodied. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Niteroi is a relatively safe city, but students should be aware of their surroundings especially if they aren't used to urban life. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
As a student that comes from a low-income household, I really struggled to fund my trip and get all my paperwork squared away. |
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Food, Rent, and Personal Expenses in Brazil can be really expensive especially for those who come from a low-income household. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100$ |
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? | 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? | 300 level |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | How expensive living in Brazil 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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Conquistar, Ordenar e Governar Espaços e Populações Coloniais |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Luciano Figueiredo |
| Instruction Language: | Portuguese |
| Comments: | It was quite challenging for me because I am not familiar with Brazilain history, nevertheless, I did take advantage of my days off to travel and meet some of the sites that we were discussing in class. Something that was quite difficult to navigate was the lack of access to readings and resources though. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Relações Internacionais I |
| Course Department: | International Relations |
| Instructor: | Marcial Suarez |
| Instruction Language: | Portuguese |
| Comments: | The professor was extremely knowledge and knew how connect theory with contemporary events. I also apperciated how he tried to include countries and regions that have historically been underepresented in academia. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Sociologia das Relacoes Raciais |
| Course Department: | Sociology |
| Instructor: | Flavia Rios |
| Instruction Language: | Portuguese |
| Comments: | Despite being an intro level course, the class was really dynamic in the sense that it include other countries specifically those from Latin America. I also enjoyed the fact that the class would incorporate guest speakers and student presentations. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | N/A |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Disciplina Justiça de transição e revezas da memória |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Paulo Gomes and Isabel Leite |
| Instruction Language: | Portuguese |
| Comments: | Like my other history class, this class was also very challenging because of how unfamiliar I am to the deparment's expectations. The course, without a doubt, is one of the most memorable classes i have taken since it was creative in incorporating different medias to the material. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
