Civil Engineering student tells us about his experience in the US

Around 30 students were awarded scholarships from Science without Borders to study in a foreign country in 2014. One of them is civil engineering undergraduate Gilberto Batisti Junior, 20, registered at UNIVATES, currently studying in Washington, USA, who gives us details about his experience overseas. 

Originally from Nova Bréscia, he left the city of Arroio do Meio last June for a one-year exchange programme at The Catholic University of America. “Challenges began as soon as I arrived. I had to get familiar with the language and with the American lifestyle. All youths speak too fast here, so it is easier to understand teachers as they don’t speak so fast” – he says. Gilberto also says Americans tend to be hospitable, but not as much as Brazilians.

Because there are few foreign students, most of his friends are American, he says. “I live on campus and have classes in different parts of the day. In my opinion, the most interesting thing is the variety of attractions I find here. I can visit many interesting places without having to travel. Washington is a perfect place - a very clean and organised city.” – he says.

According to Gilberto, the curriculum at the American university is also different. He was given the opportunity to choose a specific area of study then he chose to study Project Management. “My classes are small, with at most 15 students, which makes classroom interaction much more practical. All my teachers have called me by my name since the first week and, on top of that, they seem concerned over our learning and understanding of the subjects, and this makes the complicated subjects simpler.”.

Besides studying, Gilberto also takes his time to travel. Last summer, he went to Florida. At Christmas, he stayed in California and spent New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas. “When I’m back in Brazil, I will have met people from all parts of the USA, and I will have quite a few places and people to visit. At the end of next semester, I will do an internship at a local company to put the knowledge I have acquired into practice.” – he says. Gilberto should be back in Brazil in August 2015.

Written by: Tuane Eggers