Eduardo Karas was advised by Gradeup and began his studies abroad in 2017, completing the foundation year, undergraduate degree, and master’s! See what his experience in England was like:
“I’m Eduardo Karas, and this was my academic journey:
In 2017, I completed a Foundation in Art, Design and Media at INTO London. After that, I went on to Cardiff University, where I studied Media, Journalism and Culture (BA) from 2017 to 2020. During the pandemic, between 2020 and 2021, I completed a Master’s in Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, entirely remotely due to the global health emergency.
My journey with Gradeup began about two years earlier, when I was around 16. I attended one of Gradeup’s study abroad fairs, where I spoke with Leo, the Gradeup team, and several universities. That’s when it became very clear to me that I wanted to study abroad.
At first, I thought about doing a short exchange program, but at that fair, I realized there were other paths I could take.
On the recommendation of a university representative, I started writing a blog and kept it going for two years. When I finished high school, I sent my documents to INTO London and began the process of studying abroad. I had always wanted to study journalism, but the foundation course included art and design, so I ended up learning a lot about those subjects too. It was worthwhile, even though I wasn’t that interested in art, and I had phenomenal professors at INTO. I grew tremendously living alone for the first time in a city like London, seeing everything it had to offer.
Afterward, I went on to Cardiff University, which at the time ranked among the top 3 universities in the UK for journalism. The course was very theoretical, and we had to pursue the practical side on our own. I began writing for the university newspaper and magazine and eventually became editor of the magazine in my final year.
The city is amazing for students, with a much more affordable cost of living than London. That was great because it allowed me to focus more on my studies since I had financial support from my family. In London, I probably would have needed a part-time job, but I wanted to dedicate myself entirely to studying—so Cardiff was perfect.
I graduated with First Class Honors during the pandemic. Despite all the disruptions and the completely different experience from what I had imagined, I learned a lot. It gave me strong motivation to continue in academia, so I quickly started my master’s degree at Goldsmiths in Cultural Studies.
Cardiff gave me a phenomenal foundation, and in my master’s I was able to break new ground, even though it was remote and I never had the chance to set foot on campus. Still, it was a very rewarding experience!
In total, Gradeup accompanied me for nearly five years, and honestly, I couldn’t have gone through the whole process without them. There are so many details involved—visas, contacts, navigating a completely foreign system. What impressed me most was that even while I was abroad and in less frequent contact with the team, every time I spoke to Leo, he knew exactly how I was doing—what courses I was taking, where I was excelling. I still think it’s amazing that, even with so many students abroad, Leo knew each one’s name, personality, and academic progress. That’s truly impressive!
My parents also received full support, since when I started this journey to London, I was still a minor. We faced a few issues at first, but having Leo’s help during those early days made a huge difference.
After returning to Brazil, I was able to have my master’s degree recognized by UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) as a Master’s in Communication. The Communication program at UFMG holds a CAPES grade of 6, making it one of the best in Brazil in that field.
I also had the opportunity to participate in a fair representing Cardiff University—the very same type of event that had once opened all these doors for me. These are experiences I will truly carry with me for life.”
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