| 
| 
| 
|  |
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
Brazil: Student Comments
“Studying abroad in Salvador, Bahia was one of the best experiences I have had in my life! By living with a Brazilian family for the semester, I was able to learn and live in a rich culture rather than just reading about it. The time that I spent taught me a lot, including Portuguese, since I had no prior foreign language knowledge. This invaluable experience opened my eyes and allowed me to see what a world beyond the United States has to offer. ” —Tezeta Stewartz, UC Davis “I really feel that I have been enriched by being able to take part in a culture that is completely different than my own. I also feel that I have truly grown a lot stronger, perhaps due to necessity.” —EAP Student “The time I spent on EAP (Brazil) was the best six months of my life and I only wish that I could do it all over again.” —EAP Student “Amazing! I have now realized what a beautiful thing it is to travel. To see new places, to meet new people, to be far away from it all. Brazil is incredible-interesting and unforgettable.” —EAP Student “Conversing with Brazilians and trying to understand their different perspectives on life was most important to me.” —EAP Student “Most importantly, I have received new perspectives on what is important in life. Living in Brazil has made me value family, education, and friends more, and money and material possessions less.” —EAP Student “The experience here was amazing. My life has changed. I've matured a lot. I've opened my mind to different perspectives of the world, and I've made friends that impacted my life very positively. I am much more prepared for my professional life after this.” —EAP Student “EAP in Brazil changed my life. I learned a new language and met wonderful people who I will keep in touch with for the rest of my life.” —EAP Student “After about a week in the country, I realized that I did not know as much about Brazil as I had thought … I realized that I had to get out of the American way of thinking, because Brazilian and American society are completely different. I learned to stop imposing my American views on Brazilian society and start thinking like a Brazilian. I did this by learning the language-which was a tremendous help in my personal growth-talking with the people, and keeping up with Brazilian current events.” —Maiya Evans, UC Santa Barbara “Even though most people consider California to be the film capital of the world, I believe that EAP offered me a film experience that would have been impossible to match. In Rio I became involved with the production of telenovelas for the largest television station in Brazil. The practical experience of working on a set will give me an advantage when I apply to graduate school to study film production. I also attended a Latin American film festival and got the chance to meet filmmakers from Mexico, Brazil, and Cuba, as well as some well-known South American writers. That festival presented me with the opportunity to see films that would be very difficult to see in the U.S.” —Sarah Harbin, UC Berkeley “I never imagined experiencing the warmth and the friendship of Brazilian people once I was there. Having the opportunity to travel around a great part of Brazil, getting to know the people, the culture, what they love, what they think, and how they express (through dance, music, writing, etc.) has opened my eyes completely. It taught me the value of friendship, independence, and most importantly, my respect for the country and its culture. You would not think traveling thousands of miles to a different country would teach you so much. I returned with a little piece of Brazil in my heart, and it will remain as part of me forever.” —Norma Ibarra, UC Los Angeles “Being outside of the U.S. during these last few months has actually helped me to try to look at everything from a different perspective. In Brazil and the rest of Latin America there exists among some crowds strong anti-American sentiments, which I have found is actually quite merited given the United States' role in Latin America since World War II. But I have also found that these same people who resent the U.S. know how to separate what the U.S. government does from who I am as a U.S. citizen. In other words, despite their political views and harsh critique of U.S. policy, most everyone here has been very interested in who I am, where I am from, etc., in a very positive, friendly sense. … I am feeling no physical threats while abroad, but rather mental challenges that in my opinion are absolutely necessary for a complete university education. ” —Tim Lee, UC Los Angeles “With the experiences, I know I have matured in my understanding of the world, of different cultures, and how to be social in unfamiliar environments. The experience was so valuable to build character, patience, and pushed me to develop better social skills.” —Taraneh Nava, UC Irvine “I did an independent research project in a favela (shanty town) interviewing women with children at a clinic. It was one of the most valuable experiences of my study abroad. I was fortunately able to work with a professor from the federal university in Rio and one of her students, who is a social worker at the clinic where I conducted my interviews. I am now in the process of translating my 20 interviews. This was an unmatchable experience as I was incorporated into a small favela clinic and was able to see firsthand how a universal medical system operates. I will probably not be able to conduct 'research' like this until grad school.” —Kathleen Rooney, UC Los Angeles “One of my lasting memories of Brazil is the close relationships with professors. Coming from the United States we are somewhat distanced from our professors. Being a student calls for a specific relationship. But in Brazil, it is common for students and professors to meet and go out in groups. One of the best times was spending the day in the park talking to my professors and getting to know them.” —Aimee Tabor, UC San Diego “Mosly I enjoyed making new friends and relationships in Brazil. It was easy because I went to Brazil already fluent in the language, so once I was there the transition was a lot easier. I was able to travel around and hang out with friends in their houses as if I were a local. It really made me feel like I belonged there.” —Cassandra Tesch, UC Berkeley
|
| x | Copyright ©
the Regents of the University of California |
