Rough Start but Fell in Love with Cape Town! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes at UCT were not more difficult than courses at my home university, but I felt like a freshman all over again trying to get used to differences in another university, such as different grading percentages, handing essays in department offices (as opposed to online submissions), using a separate email account for class and announcements, having tutorials, less interaction with professors, etc. UCT professors and teaching assistants were generally very helpful in explaining these differences and were understanding of new students.

On-site administration of your program

The Cape Town CIEE office was incredibly helpful and supportive. I can't say enough how wonderful the Cape Town CIEE staff is. They are also reachable and are always quick to respond to any questions, concerns, and emergencies. They were incredibly helpful in cultural immersion and adjusting.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My program arranged for me to do a homestay with a South African family. I loved my experience with my homestay parents. It was definitely a different experience from staying in a dorm with other American students. It was definitely nice to live with parents and have home-cooked food and a room of my own. Living with a South African family really made me feel like I lived in South Africa and made me feel like more of an insider than an outsider.

Since I stayed with a family, the food was always great. My host mom was a great cook and baker so there was always good food. Otherwise, I would usually eat lunch on campus and it was really great that everything is so much cheaper than in the US. There's also such a great variety of food in Cape Town and a lot of nice cafes, all for much lower prices. The only downside in food would be that there isn't a big variety of cereals as there are in the US and the cereals available aren't as good as those in the US (in my opinion).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt pretty integrated. I usually explored alone so I felt more like a local than a visiting student and I didn't stand out as a tourist because I didn't hang out in big groups.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have many incidents, but during my first couple of days, I had a severe allergic reaction and one of my program advisers drove me to the pharmacy where I was able to buy medicine. The doctor at the pharmacy gave me medication immediately at no charge.

Everyone will tell you upon arriving in Cape Town that you have to be wary of pickpockets and robbers and you constantly hear about armed robberies on and around campus. You'll also be told to be careful when taking minibus taxis because some of them are fakes. But I really think safety in Cape Town really depends on what you look like, who you walk around with, and where you are. If you're white and hang around with other (white) people who are clearly America, you're a larger target and attract more attention, but you might have safety in numbers if you're in a large group. If you're a white guy travelling alone or with one other person who's not black, you have a higher chance of getting robbed. If you're black, Indian, or mixed and you travel alone or with other people of the same race, you can probably blend in and will be less noticeable. If you're an Asian woman, you'll be bombarded with unwanted attention because you're a "rare find", but guys will be so busy staring or trying to get your number/name or chat with you that they won't even think about robbing you. If you're an Asian guy, you have a higher chance of being robbed. Over all, it's best not to listen to you ipod in public or be obviously carrying expensive items and there are certain neighborhoods to avoid walking alone or in small groups in. It was actually really stressful living in Cape Town for the first two months because I was so paranoid about being robbed or assaulted, but I later started to feel safer and was confident walking alone, but that was largely because of what I mentioned above about Asian women.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Cape Town food prices are a lot cheaper compared to US prices so it's relatively easy to get by on a student's budget even if you're not particularly frugal. I lived in a homestay so I was provided three meals a day by my family, but I would usually have lunch on campus five times a week and then eat out on the weekends and I still didn't spend more than $50 USD on a normal week for food.

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• Host Family

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• International Students
• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• CIEE Staff
• Host Family
• Cultural Programs with RA's

• More Emphasis on Service Learning
• Making Homestay Students feel more involved
• Clearer Communication about Activities

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer