Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I learned Portuguese during my time in Rio Past Review

By (Sociology., The University of Texas at Austin) for

Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio De Janiero: Rio de Janeiro - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes I definitely achieved my goal which was to learn as much Portuguese as possible.

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 educational system is completely different at PUC-Rio. You will find that at times it is a bit frustrating especially if you are looking to be challenged. The workload was light and the courses that were available for international students were very limited.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Unorganized.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Great family in a great neighborhood, but it seems that not everybody was so lucky.

* Food:

A lot of food items that you are used to finding here easily and inexpensively are very hard to find in Rio. I would suggest to experiment with 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:

Use the free health center on campus.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Unexpectedly housing is very expensive in Rio in general.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? No official classes, only self study.
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Everyday interactions were in Portuguese on the most part, especially if you live with a host family. However, sometimes you can fall in the habit of speaking English with other international students.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You will get what you want out of your study abroad experience. You have to put in the effort to get that great experience. I had some friends that stayed indoors on their computer a lot and they didn't have such a great experience. On the other hand I had some friends that bought a bike and rode to and saw a different place in the city everyday.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Portuguese II
Course Department:
Instructor: Cecilia
Instruction Language: Portuguese
Comments: It was nice to have this class be completely in Portuguese at all times. The only shortcoming of the class was the textbook.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Yoga
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: Very fun to take any PE class abroad.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Brazilian History
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Interesting if you like history. Workload is light.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Brazilian Social Debates
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The topics covered by the class were very specific to the professor's research. You could tell that she was very passionate about the subject, but there was a disconnect with the students at times.
Credit Transfer Issues: