Life changing-would not trade it for anything in the world. Past Review

By A student (Social Sciences, Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/06/2015 to 11/20/2015 with

CIEE: Cape Town - Arts and Sciences

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I gained a new love for adventure and to get up and want to make the most of everyday. There is so much to do in Cape Town and I thoroughly took advantage of all of the opportunities. It is also historically incredibly interesting (and depressing at times) which makes for a culture that is unlike anywhere else in the world.

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 courses were interesting but the grading seemed arbitrary. Further, it was hard to be in 300 student classes when I am used to being in classes with 20 or 30 students and being able to foster relationships with teachers.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Watch your pockets when you are out--do not bring valuables.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)	The rand-dollar exchange rate while I was in Cape Town made everything very affordable.
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?	cook!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	French in high school
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans
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?	the people good organization location
* What could be improved?	more opportunities for community engagement more mixing with local/native south africans
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I felt sufficiently prepared

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Economic History of Africa
Course Department:	Economic History
Instructor:	multiple
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	interesting class. I am an economics major but was warned against the econ classes in Cape Town so this class was a happy medium as it was a hybrid of economics and history.
Credit Transfer Issues:	no

Course Name/Rating:	Race Class and Gender
Course Department:	Sociology
Instructor:	multiple
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I did not love my discussion section teacher but thought the material is interesting and extremely relevant given the cultural context in South Africa.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to Afrikaans
Course Department:	Afrikaans
Instructor:	Ian Van Rooyen
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Surprisingly, Afrikaans was one of my favorite courses. It was much smaller so I was able to get to know my teacher and he was extremely charismatic and made class enjoyable.
Credit Transfer Issues: