Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Brazil Was Great, Floripa Is Boring, Being Abroad Is Lonely Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/01/2016 to 12/08/2016 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad - Middlebury in Florianópolis

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a great amount about Brazilian culture, as well as myself. I would s

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would not choose Floripa. It doesn't have much to do, no museums, not a lot of music or public spaces where people congregate. Public transit to beaches takes a lot of time. I would probably go to Niteroi or try and do another program to go to Bahia.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100

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

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? a 300-level Portuguese 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? make friends

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • being in brazil
  • stephanie (program coordinator in floripa)
  • trip to salvador
* What could be improved?
  • academic support at UFSC
  • more (optional or suggested) events to do in floripa
  • dropping floripa as a city and moving to a more culturally interesting part of brazil
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? that classes were going to be pretty hard!!

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Estudos Literarios I: Historia-Literatura/Invisibilidades
Course Department: Letras Portugues
Instructor: Tania Ramos
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Zoologia de Invertebrados I
Course Department: Ecologia e Zoologia
Instructor: Alexandre Moreira
Instruction Language: Portugese
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Teoria Literaria IV
Course Department: Letras Portugues
Instructor: Laise Bastos
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Teoria e Metedologia de Futebol
Course Department: Educacao Fisica
Instructor: Juliano Fernandes
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: