Brazil: Changed my perspective of the world! Past Review
By Michelle Q (International Relations and Affairs., The University of Texas at Austin) for
Study Abroad Programs in Brazil
More than anything I fell in love with Portuguese, and now I am going to continue studying until I master it. I was sure I wanted to work in Latin America, but now I'm convinced that I specifically want to work in Brasil. Also, I learned a little bit about the importance of realaxing and simply enjoying the moment, as most Brazilian do. Instead of always worrying about everything. I definitely learned about a new ideology and lifestyle.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I feel that the professors were very considerate with the workload because they understood that we also wanted to travel and go out or even do simple activities like watching tv, besides just studying. That was very helpful because I had time to socialize and practice portuguese outside the classroom context. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
More than anything, she was very supportive both academically and personally. She organized everything very well, and she made us feel comfortable to talk to her we had any issues. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family treated me very well, and they helped me a lot by correcting me everytime I was speaking. The only thing is that to go out at night I did not feel safe sometimes, (especially if it was just girls)so we spent a lot of money on taxis. |
| * Food: |
We had a lot of food, our host families fed us a lot. The one thing that you have to try is acaraje. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I especially loved the visit to Morro de Sao Paulo, it is a very beautiful,relaxing, and unique island. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I always felt safe, but the first weeks I was very worried about getting dengue or malaria so it's important to take a mosquito repelent with you just in case. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No, it's expensive but I think that in order to have the full experience it's really hard to eliminate any expenses. |
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? | No previous course taken. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
This program was awsome. I had never taken any portuguese classes before, and by the end of the six weeks I was able to have a simple conversation with my host family and Brazilian friends. I think it is very important to realize that you won't learn if you just hang out with your American friends, you have to talk to the locals. |
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? | I was looking for a lot of exoticism and meeting new and different people; I found all of that. I think that you just have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and accept, instead of judging, other ideas and behaviors. |
