Senegal in the Fall Past Review
By Tessa G (Political Science and Government., Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Dakar - Language & Culture
Yes, learned a ton and was able to take a much needed break from college.
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. |
Workload was much lighter than what I am used to. The teaching was underwhelming and the classes were way to long. Overall, most of my learning took place outside the classroom. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought the staff in Dakar were wonderful. For the most part very helpful. Plus they planned wonderful weekend trips. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
Not a lot of variation in diet. But the national dish is delicious! |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved all the field trips planned by CIEE. Wonderful and easy way to see parts of Senegal without struggling on public transportation. Ne |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
Never felt unsafe. I did take malaria medication and needed some shots. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Senegal is fairly cheap. You could spend very little if you wanted to. I didn't realize how inexpensive the city would be. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate french |
Language acquisition improvement? |
I didn't realize quite how prevalent Wolof was prior to arriving in Senegal. Senegal is not the best country to really improve French. However, I really liked learning Wolof and speaking with my family. |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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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