Brazil: Florianópolis - Business, Environmental Studies

Indeed, Florianoppolis is the Magic Island, I have been to many places in my life, and have never fallen in love with a country the way I did with Brazil. Waking up every morning I would feel perpetually energized to try something new and explore the island and country.

USAC did a great job of helping students in getting acclimated to the new culture in many aspects, including food, transportation, weather, habitual rituals and other small cultural differences. The group activities offered, such as the hikes, rafting, island tour and other events were also great! Not to mention additional optional classes such as surfing and Brazilian cuisine.

One complaint which seemed to come up more than a few times was housing. Many students felt unwelcome in certain homes with homestay families, they felt as though some families were only bringing them in as a source of extra income. Others not in homestays, including myself and my roommates, felt as we were paying far more than we should have been. In US dollars, the deal was good, but once students got to know the place and started to get a feel for the local real estate we quickly came to understand and feel that we were being taken advantage of in terms of the extra income we might have as American students studying abroad. Though we could still afford the inflated prices did not mean we should be paying for them. A few students even broke their leases early and found their own 'nicer' places in better locations for cheaper prices.

All-in-all USAC did a fine job with all other aspects of the study abroad experience. The professors at UFSC (the host university) were all wonderful and more than happy to teach us.

Mostly, I'm am immeasurably thankful for USAC and UFSC's introduction of the Junior Enterprise business model, something barely existent in the United States, though highly prominent in Brazil and Europe. Since my stay in Florianopolis I have been diligently working to start US' second Junior Enterprise at the College of Charleston. This all inspiring mission of mine would not have been possible if it hadn't had been for my time overseas, specifically at UFSC.

I hope this review finds itself well. If chosen to receive the travel money award initial funds will be used to fly myself up to Chicago this January where I have been invited to attend the US' first Junior Enterprise summit, looking to spread awareness of the Junior Enterprise vision and young entrepreneurship as a whole to students and others of the community. I would not be finding myself in the place I am now, both professionally and mentally if it hadn't been for my Floianopolis experience at UFSC.

Floripa is an incredible place to study abroad. It is very safe and is populated by friendly people from all over the world. However, the best part is the location. The endless beautiful beaches, hikes, small fisher communities, soccer, surfing, extravagant clubs, low key bars, etc. The exploring lasted all semester. Everything you could ever want for an abroad experience is right there on the island. The few times I traveled to other cities, people would ask, "why are you traveling? I would kill to be in Floripa." I would only suggest going spring semester though because I got there in the summer and pretty much had a month vacation with Portuguese classes and got to settle in before school started. I also got to experience carnival. I learned a lot of things in my classes and many were hands on which allowed us sort of a VIP access to talk to locals and visit places we otherwise probably would of never known about or had access to. However, the classes were extremely long since they were cramming a whole semester into a short time and some classes only once a week. Also many professors had a strong language barrier which made things difficult. Another thing that was difficult is especially in the beginning, before I got the hang of things, people take advantage of you if you are American. For example, I would get charged more for almost anything I bought until I learned more Portuguese and learned how to bargain. It was good though because it kept me on my toes and made me more aware of my surroundings.

I had a wonderful summer studying abroad in Brazil. USAC has a great staff and did a good job of organizing activities/events/classes given the length the program existed. I loved the host family I stayed with and lived in a beautiful neighborhood that was close to the school. I really enjoyed the classes I took as well. They were very hands on and the professors seemed to be passionate about what they were teaching. For example, for my Dance and Music class we went to a live concert to see first hand what we were learning about. I also recommend taking the Brazilian Cooking class!! The only "downfall" to the program that I did not personally experience is that the some of the classes were either too challenging with too many exams and papers or that the classes were boring/not challenging enough. I would say to evaluate your goals of studying abroad before chooses your classes-- it can really alter your experience.

I had a blast down south. I was abel to experience Brazilian culture in a personal way in which I was free to explore on my own. The cultural philosophy class was epic too! I got to understand in depth the cultural differences between the US and Brazil through out history. I found that the tours, and experiences that the program offered were good half of the time, when it was more about getting involved in the culture. Sometimes it was rather touristy. The crew of students that unavoidably become your best friends turned out to be pretty rad.

My study abroad in Brazil was amazing and terrible. I had so many great experiences and just as many negative experiences. All in all if I would have known more of what to expect so I could have better prepared myself, my experience would have been more enjoyable. I plan to study abroad again because now I think I know how to prepare myself. Brazil was unearthly hot. (I also went during their hottest summer in 88 years.) Walking and bus were the way of transportation. The bus system was great once you figured it out. I would have liked to know what the proper clothing to bring would be. Brazilian woman take how they look to be very important. I also wished I would have learned some Portuguese before going it would have made a huge difference in my immersion!

Studying abroad is not something you should think about, it's something you should do. I have not met anyone who has regretted studying abroad. A typical day in Florianopolis consisted of going to class, hanging out with the many friends you make while studying abroad, and a hobby you pick up while abroad. In my case, it was Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, but for many other people it was surfing, hiking, dancing, soccer, or capoeira. But regardless of what you chooses you can't go wrong. It is a good time all around, the best 4 months of my life.