jsolo25

Thanks for the advice, everyone. It's a regional archive in a pretty underdeveloped part of Brazil and from what I can tell the technological capacities are limited. That being said, there's definitely a lot there (maybe too much), the bulk of which has been largely ignored by historians/researchers. I think I'm going to go for reading smaller amounts of material, not trying to look at everything and anything. In the future I'll have more time to explore the archive. It also seems like a good idea to get to know the archivists, which probably won't be a tough task considering how small the place is. They also said I probably would be able to take non-flash digital photos of certain (although not all) materials. 

I am a Latin Americanist interested in researching Brazil. I was recently accepted to my top choice program, but, perhaps more than a little irrationally, I am becoming anxious about certain requirements. My Portuguese is not a problem--though not a native speaker, I am fluent due to intense coursework and study abroad experience. What worries me is that I probably have to pass a Spanish exam for my Latin American concentration during my first year.

So does anyone have any experience with the language exams that they could share? When I read Spanish I can always get the gist, I know basic grammar, but the vocabulary is always a struggle. When they say you can use a dictionary do they mean a bilingual dictionary or an actual dictionary entirely in the language (Spanish)? Someone tell me I'm blowing this out of proportion.

Just got the official NYU PhD acceptance!!!! So thrilled! After getting rejected at one of my top choices and an unfunded offer at another, this is a real dream come true (NYU was my preferred destination from the start).