The all inclusive semester abroad- adventure, culture, and new friends! Past Review
By A student (Computer Science, Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/15/2013 to 11/08/2013 with
CIEE: Cape Town - Arts and Sciences
I learned so much about the history and culture of South Africa, while becoming more confident and adventurous as I explored it!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
In terms of work due, very little. However, the grading system is much different than in the US and I found it hard to do well in school. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Little help and support after the orientation period. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great location- quality was not so great! Things broke a lot! |
| * Food: |
Great food! And cheap! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Different than the U.S., but not hard to get used to or assimilate into. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Didn't have any health issues, but seems like those who did received appropriate care. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe all of the time, but many people seem to have a preconception that the city and school are not safe- not true! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
2- food was very cheap but I tended to splurge on meals! You could definitely make it work for much less than I did! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | make a budget beforehand and give yourself a weekly budget- much easier to manage |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | wish I had had more advising on the classes I chose to take |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Social Psychology |
| Course Department: | Psychology |
| Instructor: | multiple |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Could have been very stimulating, but the lectures were extremely dry |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | not counting for any credit at home institution |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Urban Challenges |
| Course Department: | Environmental Studies |
| Instructor: | multiple |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | very interesting concepts, but sometimes hard to follow because I am not native to South Africa |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | counting for my AAL requirement |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Business Ethics |
| Course Department: | Philosophy |
| Instructor: | multiple |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | not very stimulating topics- pretty much common sense. again, lectures were dry |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | counting for my PHIL distributional requirement |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introductory Xhosa |
| Course Department: | Foreign Language |
| Instructor: | multiple |
| Instruction Language: | Xhosa/english |
| Comments: | very interesting and easy to pick up! |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | counting for my LANG requirement |
