Meet Océane, a former ALPI Masters student who traveled to Rio de Janeiro during her tenth semester. She was both excited and scared before her big trip. “Very happy when I learned of my departure for Rio, I immediately thought of all the clichés of Brazil and the city such as the beautiful beaches or the joie de vivre, but I also had various aprioris and worries about the less bright sides of the country with the favelas, robberies and insecurity.” Find out in this blog about her main concerns about the country, how she dealt with them, and what classes are really like in Brazil.
What are the main concerns?
The language
Learning a new language isn't always easy. And even for people who speak several languages, traveling to a country whose language you don't speak perfectly can be pretty scary. Océane found herself in a similar situation, traveling to Rio de Janeiro when she was still a beginner in Portuguese.
“I wasn't very reassured about arriving in a country where I hardly spoke the language. But from both a linguistic and personal point of view, Brazil was a challenge I had set myself, and my pre-departure worries were quickly erased. What's more, the language can be learned very quickly, even if my first conversation with the Brazilian cab to reach my flatmate from the airport was peppered with “Sim sim” and other “Ah, que bom”, all accompanied by numerous nods of the head.”
Apart from the fact that you'll learn Portuguese faster if you're in a Portuguese-speaking country, Brazilians are renowned for their warmth and liveliness. So they'll probably be delighted to see that a foreigner has taken up the challenge of learning their mother tongue.
Cost of living
Latin American countries generally have a lower cost of living than France. But Rio de Janeiro is one of the most expensive cities in Brazil. And Océane, who lives on a student's budget, was worried that living abroad would be too expensive. I was staying in the South zone, and paying over €500 a month. This area is expensive, but its neighborhoods are the safest in the city. I spent a bit of money on Uber because when I went in and out at night, it was the best solution. Depending on how often you use it, it's a cost, but it's really useful and I strongly advise you to download the app before you go!
Otherwise, the cost of living as a French person is more or less affordable, especially for public transport and food. Just imagine, a subway ticket cost 4.30 Reais! However, French products are overpriced, so you'll want to make the most of cheese, bread and all the other products we French hold dear before you leave! Here's a small list of prices I remember: A caipirinha at Lapa 5 Reais, a rodizio of pizzas 30 Reais, a chicken Coxinha (to try at Catarina's!) 6 Reais.
Accommodation
At first, Océane was worried that it would be difficult for her to find accommodation on her own in Rio de Janeiro. She even found accommodation near the university with international roommates, which enabled her to practice her Portuguese and Spanish. “To my great surprise, I found accommodation very easily! After posting an advert on easyquarto (which included a brief explanation and description of my situation and criteria), I got so many replies that I didn't know which one to choose. A landlord contacted me directly on Whatsapp, and I accepted because it was in Botafogo (next to the university), in Rio's southern neighborhoods (the safest), for a shared flat with Brazilians and a Spaniard. So it was great, I was well placed and even managed to avoid the French!”
What courses are available in Rio de Janeiro?
Every university has its own way of managing classes. And in Rio de Janeiro, unlike in France, students choose their own courses. Océan tells us that the courses change once you arrive, because there's no more room for some of them, or they're on the other side of town (so very far away). So, she chose these courses:
Introdução aos estudos das relações internacionais/ Introduction to International Relations Studies
Geopolítica/ Geopolitics
Teorias das políticas contemporâneas / Theories of contemporary politics
Inglês / English
You can choose the courses that interest you most. For example, Océane chose an English course because, having planned to go to Denmark afterwards, she wanted to continue practicing her English. She even found that this course helped her learn English because it wasn't that easy.
What's university life like?
“The organization is a disaster (I say this as a French person), but the teachers and students are lovely and always ready to do you a favor! I remember my first day of class, when my room number was wrong and had changed a few hours before. I was wandering around the college looking for someone to help me, and a group of four people came to my rescue and knocked on every classroom in the building until they found mine!
Relaçoes Internacionais classes are held at the UFRJ in Urca/Botafogo, in the evenings from 6pm to 10pm. We have about 16 hours of classes a week. As for the classes themselves, we did a lot of group work and reading. The latter were often rather complicated (for example, it wasn't easy to listen to Adam Smith or Marx in Portuguese). On the other hand, being French attracts a lot of curiosity, and many students wanted to improve their French, or even just learn some concepts.”
Are you ready for mobility?
Are you also preparing for your move? Check out our blog of resources that can help you before your big trip! And if you'd like to hear more stories like Océane's, check out our other testimonials. If Brazil isn't your destination, you can always check out our partner universities and find out more about the university to which you've been assigned.
We want to reassure you before your next trip, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Don't forget that this page is created by students for students, so you can read about the experience of former students in the program and contact them too!
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