Amazing city/location...but would choose another program. Past Review
By A student (Fine Arts, Studio Arts, education, Brandeis University) - abroad from 06/19/2017 to 08/13/2017 with
CIEE: Cape Town - Summer South African Studies
Try everything and keep an open mind. There is nothing stopping you from experiencing new culture, people, foods, adventures, etc.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The internship seminar course we had to take was okay. I did not think the course was necessary or that useful. It was highly disorganized and unstructured. Course needs major modification and order. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
On-site staff were very friendly and helpful. Very easy to reach out to them and talk to them. Only issues that arose was due to the poor housing situation we had. My favorite person that was part of the administration was my RA. He was awesome. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Not satisfied at all. Housing accommodations were not fair relative to other CIEE Cape Town summer programs. Drastic differences in housing situations for all groups of students and everyone was paying the same amount. Our house had horrific mold, security guards constantly fell asleep and we would be locked out, at one point it was 8 girls to one bathroom, not a 10-minute walk from study center as advertised, etc. Others had their own rooms or shared 2 to one bathroom, had nicer furniture and amenities, etc. |
| * Food: |
Food in Cape Town is amazing! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Decently integrated. Our RA was responsible for most of that and he did a good job at getting us fully immersed. As well as the planned city tours and excursions toward the beginning. The homestay at Grabouw was probably the best part too. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Medicine is very easy to access in Cape Town so that was good. I had to go to the doctor at some point but it wasn't worth going in my opinion. Also the insurance provider is very confusing and difficult to make a claim. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe at all. There were issues with stolen phones when going out, but all of this could be avoided if taking the necessary pre-cautions. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
For the most part, Cape Town is extremely affordable in relation to the States. The only issue I had with money was that the transportation costs to my internship would add up. I did not know it was going to be a major expense and I did not anticipate for it. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 60.00 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Even if it's cheaper, still budget. You may think it's okay to keep spending because it's cheaper but it definitely ends up adding up. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | N/A |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? |
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 had known about the additional transportation costs. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
