An amazing experience with many challenges. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I learned a lot during the middlebury classes (Cameroonian literature and film, Medumba, and the history course), but the local courses were variable; I took one course that was horrendous and one that was really good!

On-site administration of your program

The administration had its ups and downs. Overall-Yaoundé is amazing! The other two students my semester had some (health/robbery + replacement of important item) difficulties to deal with and I'm not sure the administration did a good job handling these difficulties or showing any empathy during difficulty times in a strange country (though the lack of empathy may be the result of cultural differences). The director sometimes made the students feel like a burden, rather than a central part of her job. Despite the fact that the administration is not the greatest, the director's presence allows you to come to Cameroon and have the experience of a life time. One must be willing to overlook their attitude and just appreciate the incredible experience!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My major qualms about my housing arrangements have to do with the state of the household at the time...I imagine it could have been a really good home during other semesters. Unfortunately, some family events that occurred prior to my arrival led to a more depressed atmosphere in the household...which I really wanted to be a conversational space so that I could practice my french as much as possible. Furthermore, my host brother had some difficulty understanding boundaries and asked persistently for money as well as other types of favors; he also stole a significant amount of money from my bedroom. This program might not be ideal for someone who likes a clean living environment. I did share my bedroom with some lizards and mice, but I ended up naming them and it didn't bother me too much. One large upside of my living situation was another host family where the other student was staying. We lived close enough that we could share our families as needed!

The fruit is amazing!! The fresh vegetables are amazing!! Being a vegetarian is tricky. I ate a lot of eggs (students have the opportunity to cook meals at the middlebury center) and peanuts. However, dinners at my host family as a vegetarian were sometimes tricky. Midway through the semester I realized that I was really energy-deficient after I received some protein powder from the US and began storing peanuts in my room I started to feel better, but vegetarians should be prepared for an interesting experience. Also, I did experience intense gastrointestinal distress for most of the semester; my family did not really refrigerate food after cooking it and I believe that there was frequently cross contamination with meat-containing dishes, which gave me some trouble as I have never eaten meat.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It is difficult to integrate and your host family will advise you to only befriend people who are connected with your family or the university. Friends at the university are very nice and we did make one good friend while there, but life perspectives are very different. For my job in the US I need to be able to make conversation with anyone, and typically can, but sometimes had difficulty in cameroon due to major cultural differences/outlooks.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have an experience with health care. I had diarrhea and an upset stomach for the entirety of the trip, which I got accustomed to and was not debilitating. I did get very ill once and my host family got me antibiotics. Stomach problems are part of life in cameroon. The low rating is for a student who went home because of the state of her health. Students cannot really go independently to the hospital, it requires a member of the middlebury staff (or two) and it sounded like the health care that this student received was not very high quality.

The other student and I were "aggressed" at an intersection at dusk once and the other student lost her computer, phone, wallet, everything. We later found out that this was one of the more unsafe parts of the city. We did not go out after dark typically. My perception of safety is mainly based on our fear after this pretty intense experience of my friend being mugged and then I was jumped again after I got away with my belongings. After this experience we were pretty fearful of walking around with any valuables (walking around with our computers was necessary, though, to obtain internet at the schools and such). It is typical in yaounde for locals to own two phones because it is typical that people have to give up their phones. Bandits are around in the streets and in taxis, so it is important to be aware. Quite honestly, before our bad experience of being aggressed, we had built up a sense of trust/safety in the city and I think my perception of safety in the city would have been significantly different had this not occurred.

This is very difficult to answer. I really don't know. The host country administration really must be improved and was a continuous, significant source of frustration. However, I am so glad I went to cameroun and the administration made this experience possible so... The fact that middlebury has a school space in the city (in an AWESOME district) with some great professors is awesome, but my host family and the director could have used some improvement.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Very easy, everything is pretty cheap and we cooked the meals that we didn't eat at the student center. You do pay for taxi rides to get everywhere, though.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

You really have to speak FRENCH!! Which is one of the reasons for which I chose this program over the ones in france.

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• Host Family

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• Local Students
• Americans

• The adventure
• The city
• The culture

• transfer credits
• administration