A lot of ups and down, but the ups worth more than the downs! August 07, 2026
By Cole C (Macalester College) - abroad from 03/03/2026 to 07/10/2026 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Niterói
I learned more about living independently, managing unexpected conflicts, and acclimating to being in a different cultural space.
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. |
Good experience overall. There were some unwanted issues I had to confront, both avoidable and unavoidable, which I specify below. I did a good number of activities outside class, which made the experience better. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some communication issues and a lack of information on necessities like the student visa, rent, and food costs. The director, Caroline Schirmer Gotz, was kind and helpful, but I think she needs some training in clearly communicating things like food and rent. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Rent prices were not adequately communicated. Written, physical documentation is necessary. Otherwise, my host family was great. |
| * Food: |
The university cafeteria team was on strike, so food was unavailable on campus for the majority of the semester. Caroline also exaggerated how much food my host family would cook for me. I ended up having to cook and spend more money eating out than necessary. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health issues |
| * Safety: |
The city can certainly be unsafe, though I took precautions and ended up being fine. |
| 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) |
2. As mentioned above, I ended up spending more than anticipated. I urge Middlebury to provide information on rent costs for future students to prevent overspending. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $220 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Yes. Make sure to negotiate and clarify living prices beforehand. Rent for locals was generally cheaper than what I ended up paying for a similar space. I think there should be a fairer way to communicate local prices and provide a written record of living expenses before arrival. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | That I should have reached out to someone else to help with the student visa. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
