Sopp naa Senegal lu bari! Past Review
By Nicole J (French, IR, Barnard College) for
CIEE: Dakar - Language & Culture
I don't know if I can fully answer the above question yet, since I haven't been back for very long. I think the effects will continue showing up for months and maybe years afterwards. The changes are big and overwhelmingly positive. I am now abroad for a second time in Europe, and so far I think that my experience in Senegal was much more worthwhile. Studying and living with a host family in this setting is probably something that you will never get to do again, so take advantage of it while you can. I remember that adjusting to life in Dakar was so hard for me at first, but looking back I regret nothing except that I couldn't stay a little longer.
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. |
Definitely not the same quality as what you would get at home, but the experience outside the classroom makes up for it. Overall, it's not bad, and some professors are really good. (History of Islam!) The grading scale is very fair. Education tends to be more French-style, focused on lectures and note-taking. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
This program is in transition. It just moved to a new building last semester. That was the biggest source of disorganization for us, but I'm sure it will get better with time. The program is very knowledgeable about American higher education and differences from home. With 55 students my semester, this program is larger than some but the size was perfect for us. Overall, administration was somewhat disorganized and a little frustrating, but I think that the major trauma of the building switch is behind them, and that didn't detract from our experience in the host country. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Neighborhoods were safe, and 2/3 of them are pretty close to the school. Everything is provided. Most host families treat their students as a member of the family, which is good and bad. Good because this will encourage adjusting to life in Dakar, bad sometimes because it means that you are like their child and that means less independence. This was mostly a positive thing though. |
| * Food: |
Food is obviously very different, but it's good to try new things! This definitely varied by family. Note of caution- if you are a vegetarian, it is good to start eating meat and especially fish before you go. It doesn't mean that you will need to eat it all the time (depends on the family, but if you're there during the fall you might eat a lot of mutton for Tabaski) but starting before you leave will give you some flexibility. The program can accommodate vegetarians, but it usually means that you get a smaller host family, which definitely takes away from the experience in a very family-oriented society. Vegetarianism is difficult, pescatarianism is definitely doable, but adding a little meat will give you more flexibility. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program arranged some good trips that were included in the program fee, though they could have been a little better-organized. My best memories from abroad were non-academic, so they must have done something right. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Medical care isn't as good as what we're used to, but it's not bad. Make sure you bring your malaria medication! Safety is good overall. You have to take precautions, but these were outlined very well in the beginning. Dakar is pretty safe overall. Use common sense and be careful for petty theft, because that was the biggest concern. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Very minimal- the cost of living isn't too high. Transportation- $2 taxi rides a couple of times a week (usually easily split), 20 cents to take the bus/ car rapide. You can buy a baguette for 20 cents, and get lunch at the boutique for about $1. You can also buy street sandwiches for maybe 50 cents or so. Imported goods are the most expensive, and you definitely pay more for these things than you would at home, so stock up on essentials (toiletries, cosmetics, etc.) before you leave. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You'll probably want to travel a bit for your fall break, so thing about it in advance and try to budget. Transportation is cheap but food/ lodging can be more depending on where you want to go. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The program definitely could have emphasized French more, seeing as it is a requirement for entry and we all spoke it at a decent level coming in. They could have easily run workshops for us in French. However, living with host families was a good way to practice both French and our beginner Wolof skills, since very few families spoke English. The environment in Senegal made up for the program's lack of focus on French; there aren't too many people around who speak English, and Senegalese people are generally understanding about students' language skills and welcome practice. I think it's definitely what you make of it. If you are determined, you will improve! |
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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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? | You have to be adventurous to go this far away. It's a prerequisite. Know that this program has changed a lot in the past year. It's no longer located on the Suffolk University Dakar campus, because that campus closed. The new study center is a work in progress, but even though that was frustrating during my semester, it didn't take away from my amazing experience in Senegal. I think the program gave me everything I needed to have a positive experience. If you're set on Senegal, you might consider reading up on other programs too, since this isn't the only one. That said, I think this is a good program, I liked most of the staff and all of the other American students during my semester. Living with a host family for the whole time was a huge part of the experience. Know that academics will not be as good as they are at your home school, but that's not the point. You'll learn so much more by being in a new place and challenging yourself outside of the classroom every day. |
