World Cup Fever! Most Amazing Experience of My Life! Past Review

By Garrett N (Portuguese, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)) - abroad from 05/28/2014 to 07/29/2014 with

USAC Brazil: Florianópolis - International Business, Environmental/Conservation Management, and Latin American Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

There were so many things I learned on this adventure, but ultimately I learned how to be more independent. At the same time I learned to be dependent as well, with people I have never met in my life which is a very unique and exciting experience. Putting trust into another person's hand that you have never met before is something more than just a step out of one's comfort zone, but more so a development of friendship that you can never experience with anyone else. It was most certainly worthwhile, as I have changed as a person. My views of the world have become a bit more clear from this experience as well. I am definately more open to trying new things and meeting more people. Absolutely worth it!

Review Photos

USAC: Florianopolis, Brazil - Brazilian Culture Studies, Global Economy, and Natural Resource Management Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I thought each of the classes I took were interesting, but because they were summer courses, many things were crammed into a very short time period, just be aware of that.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Very friendly, out-going, helpful, and made you feel welcome.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	At first I was not sure how living with only a host-mother and another USAC student would play out, but with my roommate able to fluently speak Portuguese I was able to participate in more discussion and activities while living in Florianopolis. Overall, very satisfied. It helped me learn more than I ever thought I could.
* Food:	Two Words: BUFFET LIVRE!!! But for real, an absolutely amazing cuisine in Brazil, could not have asked for any better!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I feel like I integrated myself with part of the local culture, more so with the UFSC students than any other population. It was difficult at first, but then it almost becomes natural to just act and do the things they do. It was a great learning experience!
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Overall, pretty on top of things as far as I saw. I never had too many health issues except for a few colds.
* Safety:	I would say Florianopolis was a relatively safe city to stay in compared to many other parts of Brazil. As long as you plan ahead and use good judgement, you will be relatively safe. Just be aware of where your belonings (keys, wallet, phone, passport, documents, etc.) are at all times. Pick-pocketing is a huge thing in cities, especially on buses.
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)	If you know the right places, you can easily manage! Many things were about half the price as things here in the US, if you knew where to go!
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	About $R50-100 = $25-50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Walk!!! Don't take the bus! I walked 4 miles to class every day (and 4 miles back as well), and ended up saving close to $150 just on bus expenses. Also, try to find and scout out places to eat that are reasonable, such as the buffet livres, as those you get the most bang for your buck! One last thing, go to street markets and take a look around. Almost everything is under $2!!

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?	None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	High School German III (Still beginner)
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?	I would say the best way would be to make some foreign friends (preferrably younger or college aged students) who know both English and Portuguese and practice with them on a regular basis. Then go try it out by yourself when ordering food or drinks, or really anywhere in public. It was huge during the World Cup as they sold the sticker albums at almost every street vendor or bookstore, so people would set up trading booths to trade stickers. It was a great way to practice communication with the locals!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
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?	The Food The People The Sports/World Cup
* What could be improved?	Classes More Organization of different events and activites. Housing, for some people. We were all so spread out form one another it was hard to participate in things together sometimes.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Learning a language is tough! Especially if it is your first one. I wish I would have known to pack less as well. I did the right thing in packing an extra dufflebag, but I still needed to get one more bag to fit all the stuff I accumulated on the trip, to take back home. I also wish I knew about the different marathons and races they had in Floripa before I had arrived, then I could have participated in them as some of them required very early sign-ups.

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:	Elementary Portuguese I
Course Department:	International Language
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Portuguese, and minor English
Comments:	Being my first ever international language class spoken primarily in Portuguese, yes I would say it was extremely challenging and very difficult to pick up in only 10 class sessions that we had. Things went by way too quickly and made me feel very uncomfortable in the class. It would help if there was more one-on-one time with the professor, rather than practicing with another classmate. I definately learned a little Portuguese by taking this class, but it certainly did not help my GPA.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no major issues transferring credits to my home university.