Anthropology senior Stefanie Cruz traveled to Florianópolis, Brazil to study international management and Portuguese and was immersed into the South American culture.| Courtesy of Stefanie Cruz
Whether it’s Europe or South America, everyone has the urge to travel, at least occasionally, and the Office of International Studies and Programs helps students satisfy that craving while earning college credit.
Anthropology senior Stefanie Cruz had this urge and studied international management and Portuguese in Florianópolis, Brazil.
“I chose to study abroad because I realized that as graduation was inching closer, I still hadn’t done something adventurous enough to break the predictable routine of my academic career,” she said.
Cruz said she was surprised by how much she experienced on her trip.
“I knew I was going to see beautiful beaches and get to know breathtaking culture, but I also got to witness the largest riots in Brazil’s history, protesting crime, corruption, poverty and growing inflation,” she said.
She said her time in Brazil allowed her to appreciate the small, yet important, aspects of life.
“Living in such conditions, you realize you take a lot of little things for granted,” Cruz said. “I had to get used to cold showers because there was no central heating, which also meant that there was no air conditioning during the day. Getting sick was also far more difficult to handle than I imagined — mainly because playing charades with the strictly Portuguese-speaking pharmacists was not always guaranteed to get you the right medicine.”
Cruz said she missed home but that she had an amazing adventure.
“It was very hard to say goodbye to a country that taught me so much about myself and to the people who shared so many experiences with me, both good and bad,” Cruz said. “I will never forget this trip or what it took to make it possible, and I promise it will not be the last.”
After setting a meeting with study abroad advisers, public relations and advertising senior Meagan Hanson was enthusiastic. Having thought she would spend time at the beach every day, she chose to study in Heredia, Costa Rica, but her experience differed from her expectations.
Public relations and advertising senior Meagan Hanson studied in Heredia, Costa Rica over the summer. Although she had hoped to relax at the beach, her stay in the mountainous city was enjoyable. | Courtesy of Meagan Hanson
“It turned out that the city I stayed in was in the mountains,” Hanson said. “At first, it was hard. I was living in a house with strangers and no air conditioning. However, my host family was amazing. My host mom was so great and loved to feed me every hour.”
A weekend trip sparked Hanson’s favorite moment of her stay.
“We went to the beach and stayed at a hotel in the rainforest,” Hanson said. “I was sitting on the balcony and all of a sudden, I saw a monkey walking across the branches in the trees. Then a whole family started migrating across the trees. I was in amazement the whole time. They were literally four feet away from me.”
Hanson struggled with the language barrier and was forced to explain herself in Spanish.
“It was hard not to speak naturally to my host family, but I had a great experience,” Hanson said. “I was excited to come home and sleep in my bed and to be in AC. However, I really do miss living in Costa Rica.”
This is a good example of why interntional students in the US struggle, given our complex culture and language. An interesting new worldwide book/ebook that helps anyone coming to the US is “What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More.” It paints a revealing picture of America for those who will benefit from a better understanding, including international students. Endorsed worldwide by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it also identifies
“foreigners” who became successful in the US and how they contributed to our
society, including students.
A chapter on education explains how to be accepted to an American university and cope with such things as a new culture, friendship process and classroom differences they will encounter. Some stay here after graduation. It has chapters that explain how US businesses operate and how to get a job (which differs from most countries), a must for those who want to work for an American firm here or overseas. It also has chapters that identify the most common English grammar and speech problems foreigners have and tips for easily overcoming them, the number one stumbling block they say they have to succeeding here. Most struggle in their efforts and need guidance from schools’ international departments, host families, immigration protection, concerned neighbors and fellow students, and books like this to extend a cultural helping hand so we all have a win-win situation. Good luck to all wherever you study! http://www.AmericaAtoZ.com