University life is interesting here for obvious reasons: it's been a few years since we've been on a campus, and we're in Brazil. I'd say it's the latter that more so makes being a student again a challenge.
Higher education: Brazil has state universities, federal universities and private universities. The public universities here are difficult to get into, but are FREE. So, we will leave here with advanced degrees and no student loans or debt. Wow. What an opportunity. (Just had to learn another language first.)
Etiquette: I once waited 45 minutes for a class to start because I arrived 15 minutes early (soooo American) and the professor was 30 minutes late. The majority of students will be any where from five minutes to two hours late (classes are 4 hours each). It drives me crazy.
Eating and drinking during class is not OK, but tolerated if you're pregnant. Am I the only one parched, hungry and with a full bladder? And growing a baby? Guess so.
Side conversations are completely acceptable while the professor lectures or during a class discussion. It's overwhelming. Debates are also tough to follow. The professor once asked me why I looked confused. I told her it was because everyone was speaking in Portuguese.
Foreign student status: I am one of two foreign students in my program of 15, but the other is from Paraguay and has lived here for six years, so I'm pretty sure she doesn't count. I feel very different. For example, during the first few weeks of the semester, one professor was taking attendance and apologized for not knowing anyone's name yet, adding, "But we all know who Brye is, for obvious reasons." The obvious reasons likely being, in no particular order: my accent, my lack of a full comprehension at any given point, my pregnant stomach sticking out, or the one who catches all the looks whenever someone brings up U.S. foreign policy or major historical blunders, which, to be clear, I'm not actually responsible for. That said, my fellow students are incredibly accepting and very nice, helping me whenever they can in class, inviting me out, emailing me their study guides, etc.
Learning in another language: It's tough. Our Portuguese is good, but comprehending at an academic level is very challenging. Reading the material and listening to lectures are a little easier (because of context) than writing at this higher level. That said, Geoff got a 4.0 his first semester here. Luckily, much of the assigned international relations texts are written in english.
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| This is the building where Geoff and I have our respective classes. Pretty much all of campus looks like this -- no ivy-covered red-brick clock towers like in the states, and the inside always smells like wet cement. |
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| The hippies set up tents every Wednesday on campus to sell organic products and various food items. (It's the only place we've ever found hummus!) Geoff, who hadn't had a hair cut in seven months, just needs a hackie sack and some patchouli. |
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| Countless hours of studying and figuring math equations. Ugh. On the up side, Geoff and I see a ton of each other on breaks and for lunch. It's been a lot of fun being in school together and really interesting to do so here -- we always have lots to talk about. |
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| Eri watching futebol with the econ group, while on a study break, at our apartment. |
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| Me and my adorable portuguese tutor, Amabile, at school. I made brownies for her once (authentic ones are rare) and she asked me for the recipe, hence the boxed mix we're discussing and my "open, stir, bake" translation. |
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| The econ group celebrating at happy hour after a big test. Eri's trying to get in on the action and let the fellas know she's got the next round.  |
