I am Brazilian at heart! Past Review

By A student (Anthropology., University of Tulsa) - abroad from 08/13/2014 to 12/12/2014 with

Study Abroad Programs in Brazil

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I have learned so much about a culture that I absolutely love, especially that I want to go back. I want to give back and help in Brazil in some way, because in so many ways it is even closer to my heart than my experience in Argentina. I would have chosen another program to go with, but I wouldn't change my other experiences in Brazil for the world.

Review Photos

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The academics of the program were probably the worst aspect of it. We had very little information about what was expected of us from each individual assignment, at the end of the semester we had about 10 page papers in every class to write, and instructions were very few and far between. We had very little knowledge about how our work was graded, and so it was hard to gauge any errors that we could correct. Some of our work we felt did not even relate to the course that we signed up for, especially in the race, nation, and culture course we had. That course was probably the worst I have ever taken.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	They did a great job with field trips and plans such as those. However, I do not believe that they were always available for us when we needed it. Also, we had about 3 or 4 meetings as a group with the administration, in which we would tell them our complaints and criticisms of the program and how it is organized. Even though the meetings were supposed to go in a different direction, I feel as if our feedback would have been very helpful for such a young program as IES Rio. However, I believe the director of the program was offended by our criticisms, and I do not believe that they will take any of our feedback seriously. This worries me for the next semester's students.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My roommate and I had the absolute best host family in the group. They were super kind, fun, and caring and loving people. They treated us like family, and now I consider them to be family. I will definitely go and visit them again soon. My host family was one of the best aspects of study abroad.
* Food:	The food was great! I enjoyed the different places I tried, and my host mom cooks very very well. I never had a problem finding good food.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	We lived in home stays with families who spoke very little English. Also, we lived in different areas from the study abroad center, forcing us to take transportation on our own there and back. We lived our own lives while in Rio. Also, my roommate and I had a separate course with Brazilians, which allowed us to make friends outside of the group.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I did not have any health problems while in Brazil.
* Safety:	I did not have any incidents while in Brazil, however I believe it was because I actually could blend in better than others. Some of my friends from our groups were pick-pocketed, and approached by kids with weapons being held up. Therefore, it is very dangerous at night for those who seem like tourists, or if you are riding bikes in the city. You have to be smart if you stick out.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

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)	Even though it is expensive to live in Rio, most of our food was covered for dinner time during the week. Also, the exchange rate favors our side in Brazil, so I was not too hard to live off of $100/week.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	About $100 every week, maybe $200 depending on the weekend
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Even though it may be difficult to do so, taking out a loan for study abroad and getting a scholarship for study abroad gave me everything I needed. Period. I wouldn't have been able to even make it to Brazil, let alone have more than enough to live off of if it wasn't for scholarships and the loan.

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	The only time we were not using the language was when we talked to each other, and when we were in our English-taught classes. Everywhere else we had to use Portuguese.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	Business Portuguese (an upper-level course)
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Home stays!!!!!!!!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans 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!!! (the group and Brazilians) Field trips/ personal travels!! Music = AMAZING!
* What could be improved?	The organization of IES Rio The academics of the program and the requirements that the teachers would have to uphold in their classes./ The coursework. The way that host families are chosen and inspected to prove safe and good enough for the students.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Probably that I would not have the chance to spend a lot of time with Afro-Brazilians, who usually do not live in the nicest parts of the city. I would have made more of an effort to make friends outside of the area in some way. However, it is very difficult to do so.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Race, Nation, and Culture in Brazil
Course Department:	Anthropology
Instructor:	Enrique Larreta
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	We had only three grades in the course, which were two papers and one presentation, for which we had no feedback to do better. He told us we did well on the midterm paper, but gave us all C's. His material for the class had no relation to Race, Nation, and Culture in my opinion. The project we had to do in the course with the presentation had nothing to do with the main subject of the class. He is not an undergraduate teacher, he is a lecturer for post-graduate studies, and it showed in his course.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I do not think I will have any issues with credit transfer, that is when I actually receive my grades. It has been more than a month and I have not yet seen them.