Student Exchange Programme

Experience Report Matheus Carvalho – Year 10 (ESB Rio de Janeiro by SIS):

I have always dreamt of exploring new places, but I never thought it would take me this far. Last year, when I was given the opportunity to study abroad for 3 months in Germany, I knew I had to take it. 

I was really concerned about the amount of time I would spend there and wanted to make the best of it. So, off I went to Ingolstadt, the second biggest city of Bavaria, but a small town compared to Rio de Janeiro. Arriving there, I was kindly welcomed by my host family. At first, there were some problems with communicating, but we decided it was better to speak English most of the time. At first glance, the city was calm and had many parks and green areas. Soon, I learned about the importance of separating your trash and being quiet at night so as not to disturb the neighbors. The Germans love following rules. 

To get to school, we took the bus, which was a particularly superior quality transport. At school, in the beginning, Filippos included me in the class and helped me make new friends. I was surprised to know that there were people from all over the world in my class, such as Greece, Mongolia, Turkey, South Africa, and Kazakhstan. 

During the weeks, we would often visit the neighboring cities, and even Berlin! I also noticed some improvement in my German along the way and many qualities, such as confidence and social skills.