Studying Geology in Brazil Past Review
By A student (Earth Science, Anthropology, University of Maine at Orono) - abroad from 03/05/2012 to 07/12/2013 with
Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS): Porto Alegre - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Definitely worthwhile. I learned how to overcome many of my own insecurities in order to interact with people in a foreign language, which was a huge step.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
As rigorous an academic experience as you want. I took high-caliber classes at the best institute in the country for my field of study. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very complicated, unorganized and generally chaotic. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
No University housing, so you will need to find your own |
| * Food: |
Be wary if you're a vegetarian, everything is made with meat! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was taking classes in a Brazilian University, living in a Brazilian house with a great family. Nothing could have been better! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Emergency room waits are extremely long, but overall pretty good health care system. |
| * Safety: |
Porto Alegre is a very large city with a high poverty rate. Violent crime is, unfortunately, a common occurrence. |
| 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) |
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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 3,000 |
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 |
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| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginner Portuguese |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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 nothing, ever, works correctly the first time in Brazil. The bureaucracy in the country is frustrating and stressful to international students. |
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! |
