A semester in Brazil was the best experience I could have ever asked for! Past Review
By Jordan E (University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 08/04/2014 to 12/19/2014 with
Universidade do Vale do Itajaí / UNIVALI: Itajaí - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to be independent and adapt to a new life style. I learned how to face new problems such as language and cultural barriers as well. I feel like I became a new person.
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 took my classes in English. The classes were laid back without a lot of busy work, however I did learn a lot from these classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were helpful, but you may have to ask a couple of times before getting your answer. Also, I wish the orientation had been better. I pretty much figured out how to do everything on my own. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the city next to my university city. I had an apartment on the beach which was absolutely amazing. I had my own bedroom. We had a full kitchen and laundry and the apartment was fully furnished. |
| * Food: |
They had a snack bar on campus which was nice, but I ate mostly on my own. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was hard at the beginning, as I was the only American and native English speaker and not many people spoke English. I would suggest taking a friend with you or learning a bit of Portuguese to get you around the first few weeks (ordering food, asking for directions, etc.) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Didn't have to deal with this at all. |
| * Safety: |
I almost always felt safe in my city. I walked alone quite a bit near my home, but if you venture off too far, I would recommend at least going with a friend. Never had a bad incident ever though. |
| 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) |
Brazil is a little more expensive than you think. They have high import taxes which makes everything quite a bit more expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 dollars |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are usually student discounts with your student i.d. they give you (paper form) for the bus and entry to different places and events. I would recommend grocery shopping as restaurants (even McDonalds) are expensive. |
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 |
My classes were in English so they basically said to learn Portuguese if you want. They offer a survival Portuguese course to exchange students which was very helpful and helped me get around in public as I spoke no Portuguese before I arrived. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 4 years of High School German and 1 semester of Chinese at UNI |
| 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? | Hang out with Brazilians. I was the only native English speaker, so I tried to practice with my Brazilian friends. My roommates were exchange students, however so we spoke a lot of English still. |
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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| 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? | I wish I would have brought one friend. Being the only American and native English speaker was hard at times. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
