Rebecca Graham

Rebecca Graham

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Fundacao Getulio Vargas

Spring 2006

Academic experiences

At FGV, the semester is broken up into two modules, similar to A and B term. The school recommends that you take eight classes total to be able to earn a Certificate in International Management, but six courses is the minimum required for a full course load. I ended up taking six classes in the first module because I needed to be back in the U.S. by the beginning of summer. However, most people took about four classes a module.

FGV also offers Portuguese language classes that are not for credit, but free, through a nearby language school. The Portuguese language classes were very helpful. Before the semester begins, you are given a “test” to see if you know any Portuguese and how much. Then you are placed in the basic, intermediate 1, or intermediate 2 section. These classes met twice a week for the first module. There was no homework or studying required, but I usually went over the material each week to be able to communicate better while I was there.

The regular classes through FGV were somewhat similar to classes at Carlson. Most were bases on cases and group work. I did not have to purchase books for any classes, but all the reading material was available at the “copy center” and you had to purchase copies of all the readings for your classes. The classes were not extremely difficult; as long as you did your work you were fine. There was an attendance policy for the whole International Management Program that if you miss more than 25% of the classes you will automatically fail. So, you are not able to skip classes a lot. However, Brazil has many holidays where we had school off and were able to travel.

I would recommend taking as many classes about Brazil and the politics, culture, economy, etc. I learned so much about Brazil and its history that I feel I almost know more about Brazil than the U.S. I enjoyed learning about Brazil because there is no other place or time that you will learn this kind of information. I was also very interesting just because everything is so different compared to the U.S.

One thing that surprised me about the classes was the participation of the other students in group work. There are exchange students from all over the world as well as Brazilian students in your classes. In groups, other students were not as apt to start work, did not help as much, and were sometimes difficult to work with. This was not the case with all my groups, but I have never experienced anything like this at Carlson. I would say that the students from Brazil and other countries were more laid back and didn’t take school as seriously as we do.

Logistics at FGV

The logistics at FGV were great. The international program coordinator sends you a lot of material before you arrive. The school does not have housing on campus, but I was sent a long list of apartments/housing available nearby the school. I lived with another exchange student who I had contacted before the program began. We set up an apartment before we arrived, but many students waited until they got to Brazil to figure out who they would live with and where. Also, some students lived with other Brazilians, which is a great idea if you want to be immersed in the culture even more.

The school sets you up with a “buddy” who helps you with everything when you arrive. My buddy picked me up from the airport, showed me the school, helped me find my way around, and showed me the city. It was very helpful and they were always there to help in any way. Also, right before school starts, an orientation was set up to meet all the other students and some of the professors.

The school plans many different events throughout the semester for exchange students as well as all the students at FVG. The first weekend, there was a trip set up for all the exchange students and their buddies to a nearby national park. The school also set up trips to visit different companies near Sao Paulo. Another thing that I found very interesting is that the school throws parties on some weekends. They are usually different organizations in the school who rent out a bar for the night. Every FGV student is invited and there are signs posted throughout school. There is usually a cover charge and free drinks and dancing all night.

Social Life

Most of my friends I made in Sao Paulo were other exchange students, but I did have some Brazilian friends who I met through my classes. In general, everyone in Brazil is very friendly (a lot more than the U.S.) and it was easy to meet people/make friends. Most of the Brazilian students and FGV spoke English and they enjoyed talking to you. All of the other exchange students were from all over the world, but everyone spoke English. I met many great people right away at the orientation and throughout the semester. One of the students set up an email listserv for all of us, so it was easy to always be in contact with everyone and know what was going on. One of the best ways I met people was basically through my classes. The school also has a little restaurant area where many people hang out all the time.

The nightlife in Brazil is amazing and the bars/clubs stay open until the sun comes up, literally. But, Sao Paulo is a huge city and there are many other things to do if you don’t like going out to clubs every night on the weekend. I traveled as much as I could on weekends and when we had school off. I also went to the beaches nearby on the weekends. The city is amazing and there is so much to see if you just walk around all day as well.

Other

I ended up spending more money in Brazil than I thought I would, but that is only because I did everything I possibly could and traveled a lot. I lived in a very nice area and the rent was less than I was paying in Minneapolis. You can find places to stay for very cheap, but even the most expensive apartments are not that bad. My roommate and I liked to cook, so we ate at our apartment most meals. However, there are many restaurants nearby. These can be cheap or expensive, depending on where you go, so food can end up costing a lot, but only if you eat out. To buy groceries all the time was not expensive at all. Brazil is a huge country, so depending on where you travel, it can be expensive. I went to all the “great” places in Brazil and Argentina. There are many long-distance buses that are very comfortable, but you might have to fly to some cities. Overall, the amount of money you will spend here just depends on how you use it; you can live very cheaply if you want to.

You need to get a student visa to enter Brazil and it took me awhile to get mine. For a student visa you need to send in all this extra information, such as a letter from the local police department showing that you are not a criminal, a letter from the school, and some other documents. After I initially sent in my visa application, they called me back three times with additional information that was needed. So, I recommend starting your visa as soon as possible (but you cannot turn it in until 90 day prior to your arrival). Once you get to Brazil, you must go to the Policia Federal to register your student visa. The school tells you step-by-step how to do this.

Overall, I completely enjoyed this program and loved every minute I was in Brazil. I have to admit, the first few days were difficult because of the culture shock. But, that is why I decided to go to Brazil, because it is a very different culture. Anyone can go to Europe, but to be able to live in Brazil for a semester and adapt to the culture is truly an accomplishment. I think if you are ready to experience something completely different, than this program is what you are looking for. I suggest that you try to traditional foods, learn the language, adapt to the people, make as many Brazilian friends as possible, travel, and experience everything you can there. That is what made this program so enjoyable for me.

Feel free to ask me any questions:

Becca Graham