Joice Lima has lived all over the world. Her passion for learning about new people and new cultures makes CSI a natural option for exploring her curiosity.  

Joice Lima is originally from Brazil, but has spent the past 10 years living abroad, “I lived in Ireland for seven years and spent 3 years in Portugal. I came to the US two months ago,” she says. CSI’s innovative programs got her interested in spending some time in America, “I’ve travelled to New York and Florida But never planned to stay, but now I am living here.”

Joice is currently staying in the Chicago suburbs and is a part of the first group going through CSI’s new hybrid program. These courses combine online learning with in-person immersions and allow students more flexibility than a traditional learning situation. Her original plan was to attend classes on the Lombard campus, “In the beginning, I was planning to do the normal one but a few weeks before I came to Chicago, I heard about the new program. So I thought, why not?” she says. 

“I don’t need to drive an hour to go to my classes. And I have more free time to study and be more involved. I’m in the first quarter and I really like it.”

Interest in International Business 

Joice is taking classes in the Organizational Administration Concentration. She is no stranger to the world of business and her goal is to round out her knowledge of international business practices, “I have experience with business management from Brazil. My goal here in America is to try and see the differences in the business segment.”

She feels it’s important for business people to educate themselves about cultural differences in different parts of the world. When she lived in Europe, she was a little bit lost because they don’t do things the way she is used to. “Some things that were normal for me in Brazil but might not be normal for people in Europe or India or other parts of South America,” she says. “In Paraguay, they don’t do business the same way as they do in Brazil. Some things I think are awkward, but for them it’s normal. It’s good to know those things.”

One of the things she most enjoys about her classes at CSI is that she is learning about those diverse business practices. Her classmates are from all over the world, “Here we have multi-cultures. That’s one thing that I love. In my classes I listen to different languages and learn different cultures for business.” 

She loves learning and interacting directly with people from diverse backgrounds, “We have people from Poland, from Thailand, China, India, Romania, and a lot of other cultures. For me, this is amazing! I’m having to learn to listen to the different accents. This will help with business because I will understand people better when I am working.”

New Ways of Learning

Even though Joice loves her classes and her classmates, there are some things she is still trying to get used to. She says she is a little older than many of the other students, so there are adjustments she is making, “One of the challenges is AI. I learned to go to the library and actually search and use books. AI now is a little awkward for me,” she says. 

She is keeping an open mind, “People say you can just search in 30 minutes. I’m not comfortable with this new way, but I’m learning new examples to open my mind about AI. They don’t encourage us to use AI but they say we can use it to help with researching and see different points of view.” 

One of the reasons that Joice has been slow to accept AI is because she loves to learn. She makes time in her schedule for her coursework, “I love to study. I organize my weeks to make sure I have time. Normally I have classes on Tuesday and Thursday and use Sunday to finish the work. I do another course on Monday and Wednesday, so on Friday I use half of my day to finish that work.”

It sounds like a lot but she says that preparing helps her stay ahead, “I put this as part of my agenda. This helps so I don’t feel as much pressure.” She likes to plan for the next week by reading the syllabus and class notes, “On Sunday, I will read about what will happen during the week. Then when it is time for us to start to talk about it, I feel more comfortable. For me, this helps.” 

All of the planning that Joice is doing in advance is helping to prepare her for the future, “My plan when I finish this is I would like to go look for a hands-on job in international business. I would like to do OPT (optional practical training) at the end of my course.” She is not counting out more education, “I might do another program and maybe a masters degree someday. I like more deep information because I always want to learn more. If I feel ready, I will apply for the OPT program. If not, maybe I’ll do Marketing or Hospitality because I want deeper information.” 

Recommendation for Hybrid

Even though Joice loves getting to know new people, she thinks that the hybrid program makes sense for a lot of people, “I love the hybrid system. The model is very handy, very simple, there is no need to be an expert with the technology. Everyone is able to use it. All the material CSI gives to us to help us study is complete.”

She also says that the online classes can help people who are reluctant about going to school, “The teacher gives us the opportunity to talk and give our opinions. We can send messages and meet during the immersions. Sometimes people are shy. But after the 2nd or 3rd week there is more support and everyone says “come on guys” to the quiet people. Everyone is here for the same thing. They don’t need to be shy.”

She also likes the money saving aspect of the hybrid program, “It’s so easy and it’s not too expensive. Because when you talk about driving and parking then you add more cost to the bills. But for the hybrid, you can save that money.” 

The hybrid program has allowed Joice to explore her new neighborhood, something that she wouldn’t have time for if she was driving to class every day, “I’m new in the city but I live far away from the school. I live in the suburbs and I’m learning how the American people live. I really like it.”

Even though it’s a new experience, Joice is loving CSI, “I think it’s the opportunity to meet new people and learn. Not only for the courses but for other cultures sharing their experiences with others. I really recommend it.”