Brazil: Great experience and life changing! Past Review
By Megan B (Finance and Financial Management Services., St. Cloud State University) for
St. Cloud State University: Traveling - Brazil Business Intersession
I learned that not all the countries are the same and that many strive for independence and others for teamwork.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I wish the professor would have given us reason why we got the grade we did. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was great to explore the country together as a group but there was really no time to go and explore other parts of the country by ourselves. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Before we left the country, we were able to pick our roommate. I liked that. |
| * Food: |
Buffets. you get the most food out of these places. And it is checked regularly. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Experiencing the different bars and attractions in the two cities. Christ the Redeemer was one of my favorites. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
A person always had to be cautious wherever they went. You could never walk alone. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $200 each week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The price barrier of the two countries; U.S. and Brazil. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We needed to know the language because Brazil did not have very many English speaking people at the places we went. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Learn the language before going abroad. |
