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7 years, I want to go on an exchange program to another country.
10-07-2015, 08:05 AM
Hello,
I'm a 17 year old guy from Belgium who is going to finish off high school in 2016. I want to move to another country, preferably Latin America (Brazil). My questions:
- After thinking about it, I think doing my 6th year again in Latin America (the last year here in Belgium) is a waste of time. Should I do voluntary work/charity (if thats the correct term), work, ... instead?
- Do you think it will be easy to find work there?
- Is Latin America/Brazil a good choice or should I choose another continent?
Any tips about gap years and this subject in general are welcome.
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7 years, I want to go on an exchange program to another country.
10-07-2015, 08:28 AM
RaccoonFace, we've talked about this in PM already but I'm going to add my thoughts here as well.
As for the continent or country: what do you want? Do you want a place with 1st world safety and comfort? Escape from the self-destruction of the West? Economic growth and possibilities? A more traditional culture and society? Beautiful women? A nice climate?
For your occupation, I think the order is like this (from most desirable to least desirable):
1) paid job or internship where you gain useful and marketable skills and/or contacts
2) unpaid job/internship/charity work where you gain useful and marketable skills and/or contacts
3) higher education or language program (eventually with a side job)
4) paid job where you gain no useful skills or contacts
5) charity work where you gain no useful skills or contacts
6) redoing your last year of high school
I'd like to encourage people who can help to post their opinions and advice.
This is a young guy who's willing to listen to advice, to accept it and to act upon it - and these are rare these days.
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7 years, I want to go on an exchange program to another country.
10-07-2015, 03:35 PM
You could look into learning Spanish in Spain for a semester, living is quite cheap there in the student cities. You can meet lots of Latin exchange students there from countries such as Brazil, Peru and Colombia.
When you studied the languages Spanish and Portuguese a bit more you go to Latin America some months later after you came back from Spain. With your new Latin social circle in South America you have more experience on your belt that you can build on.
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7 years, I want to go on an exchange program to another country.
10-11-2015, 11:45 PM
I live in Brazil, and as a foreigner it will be very hard to find a job here (almost impossible without fluent Portuguese). The economy is plunging and people with engineering degrees are forming huge lines for crappy 300$ per month office assistent jobs...unless you have family/contacts to set you up.
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7 years, I want to go on an exchange program to another country.
10-12-2015, 01:43 AM
If you are finishing high school, you could just study the language at a University in Latin America if that's what you want.
I studied abroad in Mexico during university. I took classes all day, met Mexican university students, stayed with a Mexican family, and was able to learn the language pretty quickly since I was very immersed in it.
Work in Latin America is a ridiculous idea for a European teenager. What could you do that would be worth your time? Just view it as a long educational vacation really, don't imagine you'll make money.
One international student I knew in Mexico, an African girl who spoke more languages than I could name, actually did work as a waitress in a pizzeria run by expats. It was a wood-fired thin-crust pizzeria run by an American guy serving actual good pizza, which is pretty impossible to find throughout most of Mexico. It was frequented by other expats with money. She would make about $100US a day she said, which in Mexico is an amazing amount of money to make doing unskilled labor. Really, if that's 20 tables a day, $5 tip a table?
So if you could do something like that, cater to rich expats, you could perhaps make some decent pocket money.
I enjoyed Latin America. It is poorer and more violent than Europe, but you already knew that. People are more friendly and family is more important, and the girls very cute. You probably already knew that as well.
You're young, you could choose anywhere in the world. Latin America is fun and lots of us love traveling there. Spend a semester or even a year somewhere, learn the language, you'll enjoy yourself.