The Best and Hardest Thing I've Ever Done Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/03/2017 to 06/01/2013 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Yaoundé

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

I learned what its like to be uncomfortable a lot of the time and I learned what it feels like to finally be comfortable in a place where you were once very uncomfortable. I learned how to be alone in a place where I didn't know a lot of people and didn't speak the language. I learned how to think and speak in another language. My experience shattered a lot of preconceived notions I had about the African Continent.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	My host family was one of the best parts of my experience. They were kind and welcoming. I had my own room and my own bathroom.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	If I were to do it over, I would have enrolled in more classes at L'Universite Catholique so that I could get to know the local students better. I only to one class there so I was only at the University once a week. I wish I had gone more often so that I could have become more a part of the community there.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I got sick briefly and was well taken care of while I was there.
* Safety:	I did feel very safe in the city, although after dark if I was outside, I had to be with other people which was a tough adjustment because it got dark relatively early because Yaoundé is near the equator. I always felt safe in the shared taxis and felt very safe walking around my neighborhood during the day. There was only one instance of harrassment when a drunk man grabbed me during a parade but I was with other students and we quickly left the area.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I would definitely choose the same program but I would take more classes at Universite Catholique and make an effort to hang out with local students and people more than the other students on the Middlebury Program.

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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Everything is pretty cheap in Yaoundé, but you definitely want to have money to go out to eat and drink with friends. And you want to have money to be able to get around in the shared taxis.

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	There was a language pledge.
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Listen to podcasts or radio stations from the country so that you can hear the accent and learn the colloquialisms.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Host Family Language Pledge Excursions
* What could be improved?	More help with opportunities to engage in the local community
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I had known to push myself even more out of my comfort zone and make myself engage more in the local community because time goes by very quickly.

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:	Bamileke Political Anthropolgie
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Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Interesting and challenging and corresponded to the field trips we took.
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Course Name/Rating:	Introduction to Medumba
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Comments:	Was useful and fun but could have been more challenging.
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Course Name/Rating:	Intro to Cameroonian Literature and Culture
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Comments:	Enjoyed the readings. They felt relevant.
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Course Name/Rating:	Gender Anthropolgy
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Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Really liked this course. It was taken at the Universite Catholique - was taught in lecture style so there was not a lot of opportunities for participation but we were able to do a final project with the other students. The material was very interesting
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