When in Brazil, might as well do something new. Brazil: Public Health, Race, and Human Rights Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I felt as if the courses could be a little more rigorous but with the language differences, I can understand why it was not as rigorous.

On-site administration of your program

The administration was not as helpful or useful as I expected, particularly with friends telling me that they would express their concerns and issues but nothing would be done to resolve or approach the situation. It made me less likely to talk to the administrators about the issues I was having with the program, etc.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My living arrangements were fine, but the community I lived in was not the best.

I had high expectations that were not met. The food was not bad, it just not flavorful enough for me. Quite bland to my liking but overall it was fine.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The local culture was amazing to experience and be a part of, especially since I fit in very well. I think that making friends with locals made it easier to transition into this new environment and helped me appreciate the culture more.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

When I was feeling depressed, I addressed my concerns with the academic director and was given multiple resources and options. Although I was able to make myself feel better without having to use any medical facilities, I think the fact that I was given multiple options reflected well of the healthcare options I was given.

As a woman, it is important to know that every where you go you have to be vigilant of your surroundings, and of yourself within that environment. Thankfully nothing serious happened to me while I was abroad, but I can say that there were several instances that men would cat call or would attempt to touch or grab me. I think that for the most part, my host city was safe but there were some circumstances that made me uncomfortable, again because I am a female.

Although the beginning of the program was extremely difficult for me, looking back at the experience now, I realized that those months were preparing me for my research and a career that I am really interested in pursuing. I think that those first rough weeks helped shape my experience and helped shape my character. I would do this program again and again, without a doubt. I absolutely loved it! I miss my Brazilian friends and can't wait to go back and visit.

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

I was able to live perfectly fine on a student budget. I think my biggest regret was going out to the club every weekend instead of saving that money to explore the city more.

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

Every day our academic director would stress the importance of learning the language because we would not have any assistance when we would start our independent study.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• International Students

• The courses, topics, and issues being taught.
• The structure of the program.
• The staff, locals and the friends I made along the way.

• Staff needs to work on learning how to deal with students who are disstressed, emotional and/or are facing an issue. There was not enought emotional support for them.
• They need to have a language requirement.

The Academic or Linguist