Great Experience Abroad Past Review
By A student (Political Science, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/27/2014 to 06/15/2014 with
CIEE: Cape Town - Arts and Sciences
I became more aware of international politics beyond the United States. Often times we limit ourselves to domestic affairs. But the events within the international community, such as South Africa, are also important.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics are definitely different from |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Communication from CIEE could have been better. Much of the communication was last minute in relation to the announcement. There could also be better communication about events planned by CIEE and its RAs. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I choose to live in a UCT residence hall and I was put in Liesbeeck. WIthin the suite of four roommates I had my own room which was nice and spacious. It is not the most physically appealing dorm but I enjoyed interacting/living with UCT students. |
* Food: |
I lived in the the dorms with UCT students and the only option there is to cook for yourself. So it depends on your cooking skills. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
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If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
* 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) |
Wellesley does a great job of transferring financial aid to study abroad expenses. U.S. dollars are also worth more than South African Rand. So that helps. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | N/A |