Assia: Ca va aller Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/04/2017 to 06/03/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Yaoundé

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

I gained a new family, a new home, new friends. I improved my French. I gained an understanding of the discrepancy between what people think of Cameroon and what the reality is. I learned and lived daily political corruption but was able to

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The classes at the center were very important in shaping our basic understanding of the culture and the environment we were engaging in. The courses at the university were different than any other academic experience I had ever had before. They took a bit of getting used to.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The director of the program is amazing and incredibly helpful. Lots of resources available at all times.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I had a great experience with my host family, but it is true that not everyone does.
* Food:	Very authentic and accommodating food experiences as the host families shared their culture with us through food!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	It is all up to the student. I integrated myself at every opportunity.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	If you have chronic health issues, please make the program director aware ahead of time. Take anti-malarial pills. I never got sick but felt as though healthcare options were still very accessible.
* Safety:	The same safety concerns existed in YaoundE as anywhere else.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes Without a doubt. There is no other program in Cameroon that comes close to that of Middlebury.

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)	4
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	20
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	The most expensive activities are eating out at restaurants or going out at night.

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	We had 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?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	French 0223
How many hours per day did you use the language?	10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Don't give in to other students who want to break the language pledge and speak English. At the end, it will be very obvious who had been completely immersed in speaking and practicing French.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Direct Enrollment

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 International Students
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 Integration into ordinary Cameroonian life Excursions
* What could be improved?	Internship opportunities
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I was forced to learn more about Cameroon by Middlebury in an academic setting before going abroad.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Cameroonian Literature
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Comments:	This class most closely resembled something that would be offered at Middlebury. It would have been nice to have taken this class before getting to Yaounde.
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Course Name/Rating:	History of Cameroun
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Comments:	A good, standard class that will teach you about important dates and figures in Cameroon's history and fight for independence. The professor is also very knowledgable, and I specifically enjoyed asking questions about our everyday observations.
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Course Name/Rating:	Political Analysis of Central Africa
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Comments:	Depended a lot ont he guidance of my classmates who were used to this professor's expectations and mehtods of teaching.
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Course Name/Rating:	Family and Sexual Ethics
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Comments:	I learned a lot about how certain mentalities shape Cameroonian society, though this was not the intended goal of the course. Being at a Catholic University, it was interesting to take a class with an actual priest.
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Course Name/Rating:	Political Communication
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Comments:	Learned a lot though I was often confused at the structure of the class. The professor is a bit intimidating but that is because he openly speaks his mind.
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Course Name/Rating:	Culture of Central African Peoples
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Comments:	learned nothing, the professor was one of the worst professors I've ever had
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Course Name/Rating:	Anthropology of health
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Comments:	Super hard but rewarding class
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Course Name/Rating:	Medumba
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Comments:	An amazing class with a professor who is devoted and passionate about sharing his culture. It is less about language acquisition but instead more about understanding the role language can play into the importance of culture.
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Course Name/Rating:	Sociology of the family
Course Department:	Sociology
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Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	This was an interesting class because there were 6 students; three from the US, one from Cameroon, one from Chad, and one from Gabon. This lended itself to a very special experience because not only were we able to understand how family structures differ and resemble each other across cultures. Because it was a small class, there was constant class participation. We were assessed by one final paper and one class report.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues.