EDUARDO AT EMORY UNIVERSITY
Eduardo Citwar is currently a freshman Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he lived for a great part of his life. He attended a Brazilian school in Rio called Colégio Andrews. When he was fifteen, his family moved to Singapore and he began to attend an international school called United World College in Singapore. It was a great change for him, since he was accustomed to only having classes in Portuguese and following the Brazilian curriculum. After graduating there in 2014, Eduardo moved to Atlanta to pursue his college education at Emory University.
Eduardo and I met at the beginning of the year. We quickly bonded over the fact that we were both from Brazil and our friendship started to develop. He was glad to help me with my project and excited about the interview. He came to my room and we chatted a bit about how everything was going. After about fifteen minutes, I asked him if he was ready to begin.
"Before you attended Emory, you attended school in Singapore and in Brazil. What do you have to say about the Brazilian system of education?" I asked. "In Brazil, we study a huge range of subjects per year until we finish high school. I believe my friends that graduated from Colégio Andrews in Rio took sixteen subjects in their senior year. You don't have a choice about which subjects you get to take and you do not tend to go into them in depth. In Singapore, where I did the IB Diploma Program, it was completely different. I took six courses, which I chose, but I studied them in great depth. I personally did not like the way it was done in Brazil, since the system forces us to study subjects that we are not interested in at all in order to prepare us for vestibular, the college entrance exam. I also do not like the selection process for college in Brazil. It does not take into account anything but your grades in the national exam. Your grades in high school, your extracurricular activities, your essay, none of that matters. I am not a fan of the system at all, since I believe on single test cannot reflect how qualified you are as an applicant," Eduardo answered. I nodded in agreement. Even though I attended an American school that did not offer the IB program, in my school I also got to choose different classes and electives. "I agree that the Brazilian system of education has serious flaws. Having attended Emory for one semester, how do you feel about the American system of education? Which one do you prefer?" I asked, curious about his response. "I really like the idea of Liberal Arts like it is done at Emory. I believe it gives you more time to explore options and be certain about your major. No Brazilian universities have a system like this. I definitely prefer the American system." "What motivated you to apply to colleges in the United States? Has college education here met your expectations?" I asked, thinking about my own college application process. "To be honest, my choice to apply was largely due to the American college experience, as opposed to solely an educational aspect. In Brazil, your life does not usually change so much after you go to college. You usually stay in the same city and you keep living with your parents. The only thing that changes is that you begin studying that you're (hopefully) interested in. The American college experience is all about transition, independence and new experiences, which I love. In a American college, you become involved in so many different activities and you gain a completely new life. The experience extends way beyond just academics. I wouldn't just way it has met my expectations, but completely exceeded them." "I completely agree with everything you said about college! It is truly different from the college experience in Brazil. You lived there Brazil for a great part of your life. Can you tell me a bit about how that was and about the Brazilian culture?" I asked, transitioning from the topic of college to the topic of culture. "Brazil is a huge country, so the culture is somewhat different across it. Brazilian people tend to extremely friendly, however. In Rio de Janeiro, where I am from, I would say the culture is all about being laid back and relaxed. We love going to the beach! A lot of people would say we also hate working hard. Rio is a city with many problems such as violence and poverty. Even so, people always seem happy, relaxed, and ready to enjoy life," Eduardo responded. "Even though I am from Recife, I have to agree! People there tend to be relaxed and laid back too. Many live in this 'bubble of happiness,' denying problems the country and the city faces. I would say the idea that people hate working hard is a stereotype, however. How do you think Brazilian culture differs/fits in to the stereotypical vision people have of Brazil (country of soccer, parties, promiscuous women)?" "I agree that is the stereotypical vision people have of Brazil. While there is a bit of truth to every stereotype, I feel that the Brazilian one is often exaggerated. Most people do not even enjoy to play soccer. Another stereotype Brazil is famous for is being the country of Samba, a rhythmical dance. A lot of people do not know how to dance Samba or enjoy doing it. The reason Brazil is famous for it is that it is a great part of the Brazilian carnival, a festival that happens every year in February or March. I guess people see Samba on TV and on the news during this festival, and think that Brazil is all about it," Eduardo responded, critically analyzing the situation. After his response, I started to ponder about how Carnival is probably a great part of the reason Brazil is heavily associated with partying. The festival of Carnival is huge in both Recife and Rio de Janeiro. People basically go to the streets and dance and party. It only lasts about five days every year, however. It does not define Brazil. I then started to think about the American culture, "What about the American culture? How was it like to immerse yourself in it?" I asked. "I had a stereotypical vision of the American culture as well. I had heard, for example, that American people were self-centered and had no knowledge of anything that happened outside their borders. The people I have met were not like that at all. The American culture is different from the Brazilian one in various aspects. I feel that people here are much more hardworking, for example. I also think people here are more individualistic. Even though they have their differences, I believe I have adapted pretty well," he responded. To conclude, I asked: "Did you face any particular difficulties adapting to college life in the United States?" "I think I had an easier time adapting than most Brazilians. I did not come straight from Brazil, but from an international school. My school was also a boarding school, which means I lived there and away from my parents. I had to do a lot on my own. I can imagine how Brazilians can get overwhelmed adapting here, however. It's a great change and many responsibilities to take on at once." I thanked Eduardo for his help again and after we chatted for a bit, he left. I started to think about many of his answers. I specifically agree to the part about Americans being more hardworking than Brazilians. Especially in the social status we are part of, a lot of my friends and classmates lived under the impression they did not have to work hard, since they were already more fortunate than most. Even though I have also met several people who also deem themselves more fortunate than most, it is not a reason for them not to work hard. In addition, I started to think about what Eduardo said about transitioning from Brazil into the American culture. For him, it was easier since he had already adapted to living on his own and having more responsibility. For more thoughts on Eduardo's interview, and how it relates to Brazilian culture, American culture, and adapting to college as a Brazilian, access the cultural analysis page. |
"You don't have a choice about which subjects you get to take and you do not tend to go into them in depth" (about Brazilian system of education) "The American college experience is all about transition, independence and new experiences." "While there is a bit of truth to every stereotype, I feel that the Brazilian one is often exaggerated." " I had heard, for example, that American people were self-centered and had no knowledge of anything that happened outside their borders. The people I have met were not like that at all." |