A Perspective-Changing Adventure Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It doesn't seem difficult as your going through the semester, but the exams can be difficult and caught many people of guard. It can be particularly difficult if it the exam material can be graded subjectively such as in a philosophy course.

On-site administration of your program

Our program coordinator did not do a lot after the first couple weeks - during which she was extremely helpful. Overall though, she was incredibly nice and welcoming.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It definitely wasn't a five-star hotel, but overall it wasn't too bad. You had to get used to cool showers, no AC, and the noise level outside, but compared to some other dorms/hostels it was pretty nice. The restaurant in the bottom of the hostel and the outdoor tables next to it definitely became a gathering place for everyone in the hostel.

The food environment is definitely different, but if you approach it with the right mindset it really isn't bad and can actually have many positive aspects that you don't have elsewhere. First off, unless you're eating international food in a restaurant, the food is cheaper than most people are probably used to. Also, the fresh fruit available everywhere is a definite plus. Some people didn't like the traditional dishes too much, but I found most of them pretty good. Especially the red-red dish and all of the plantain foods.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Ghanaian people are very welcoming and inviting so it's not to hard to experience Ghanaian things while in Ghana.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There are a number of vaccines that you need to get before going to Ghana. While there, the biggest health concerns are gastrointestinal things and malaria. They had a helpful orientation program for us that gave us some direction on what food to trust and what food to be weary of. As far as malaria, most of us from the US were on prophylaxis which reduces your chances of getting malaria and can reduce the severity of it if you do get it. I new multiple people that got malaria while in Ghana and all of them were treating well and all completely recovered. The medical system in Ghana knows how to handle malaria and they do it pretty well.

As long as you follow general safety practices that you would abide by in any densely populated area - you should feel pretty safe. The Ghanaian people are really nice. The biggest safety concern will be felt by women - the men in Ghana can be pretty forthcoming and borderline aggressive if they find someone attractive. I know a few people had their bags stolen from them as they were walking alone at night, but this never happened when you traveled in a group.

There is so much value in putting yourself in a very different environment for four months - especially when that environment is one that is often misrepresented in media and culture. There were challenges that I faced in Ghana that I'd never faced before, but there were also amazing experiences that I had while there that I couldn't have had doing any other study abroad experience. I swam in a waterfall, hiked a (small) mountain, saw an elephant, slept on a bus next to national park, went to the beach in November, had custom clothes made for be, went shopping in awesome markets, tried amazing and different food, went to a Ghanaian wedding, walked on canopies among the trees, slept in a tree-house in the middle of a rain forest and many other awesome things. I also hand washed my clothes for four months, got used to inconsistent wifi and the occasional power outage, became comfortable with showing up sweaty to class. and got used to being called obruni everywhere I went. Overall though, I know that my study abroad experience will have a lasting effect on my life and will ultimately make me a better, more compassionate, and more open-minded person.

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

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• Dorm
• Hostel

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The adventures
• The hospitality of people
• The things I learned

• More consistent internet/power
• Less subjective grading
• Better communication between teachers and international students

The Academic or Linguist