Best Place to Study Abroad Past Review
By Kate Beispel (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/25/2016 to 06/10/2016 with
CIEE: Cape Town - Arts and Sciences
I learned so much studying abroad in a place that isn't so mainstream. It was the fastest 5 months of my life and I learned a lot about a country I had never really thought about.
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. |
The amount of time you spend in class is minimal but the work is legitimate. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE is very involved with the students in Cape Town. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There are a lot of singles, but it's not fully apartment style. |
| * Food: |
Amazing food. |
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* 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: |
Cape Town is an unsafe city but I felt prepared and the program kept a look out for us. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Cape Town is amazing and CIEE was instrumental in helping up discover the city. |
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) |
The exchange rate is extremely favorable in Cape Town. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The main language here is English, but there were opportunities to learn other languages. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
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? | 10+ |
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? | I wish I understood how classes transfer before I came. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
