I wish I had done things differently Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/01/2019 to 06/20/2019 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Belo Horizonte
I learned to be independent, but I think I could have eventually learned this later in life without wasting a semester of college/
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. |
Professor's frequently canceled classes or came in late. There weren't that many big assignments. The only reason I give my educational experience 3 stars is because of the intensity of having to use Portuguese for all of my assignments and at times the language barrier made it hard for me to participate in class. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I often felt uncomfortable voicing my frustrations with my program director due to the responses she would give when I'd make comments (Weird faces, not very welcoming). In addition, the program director knew I was vegetarian, yet continued to forget about this when choosing restaurants during excursions. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I absolutely loved my host family and having such amazing housing made my experience in Brazil a lot better. I think it's one of the best things the program did for me. |
| * Food: |
My host mother tried her best to cook food for my vegetarian diet but in the end, I had to transition to eating chicken. I completely understand this was due to cultural reasons, but I'd be wary of choosing this location if you're not ready to be flexible with food choices. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
At times, there seemed like there was nothing to do in my city, which I know was far from the truth, but I wish the program had done more to direct me to cool activities I could do in my host city. At my university, it was hard to reach out to local students because of financial issues they had, which led me to hang out with other exchange students. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health issues, so I cannot comment on this. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt very safe in Belo Horizonte, especially in my neighborhood. I took my precautions to feel safe though, I didn't walk alone late at night ( I always took an uber if it was after 10pm) and I didn't take my phone out at night or in the train even when I saw other people do this. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would have chosen a different host city and a different program that provided more support (perhaps a program where you can take classes in a local university, but also provides a lot of excursions where you can meet other people) |
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) |
I didn't waste that much money on food because I had food at home that my host mom would cook for me. I spent some of my money on ubers and the occasional dining at restaurants, but this did not cost me that much. Most of my money was spent on traveling, which is very expensive to do withing Brazil. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25 (When I wasn't traveling) |
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 |
This program will immerse you in the language. I took all my classes in Portuguese and spoke with my host family in Portuguese. Expect to always use the language. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Intermediate Portuguese |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Watch videos, listen to music, and review basic rules. Don't be afraid to use the language whenever you can. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had understood the extent of how much the program is involved in my study abroad life (not much) and the lack of excursions. I wish I had known that the big excursions that all students are required to take would require me to make out of pocket expenses for food and travel within the city. I also wish I had known that traveling withing Brazil can be very expensive. |
