South Africa - get ready for the emotional roller-coaster of your life. Past Review
By Ryan Y (Higher Ed Administration, St. Cloud State University) for
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU): Port Elizabeth - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was 9 months ago that I went and I think about my trip EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Again, urs was not taking courses in a foreign country, but learning IN another country so some of the questions about instruction are not applicable. However, the rigor was appropriate. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I bet we spent 10 hours of the trip waiting for something. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
OK, so I hate to even say this, but really, the apartment living on the beach was more than I ever expected. Certainly some students complained about having to shower sitting in a tub with a handheld sprayer, but really, the accommodations were exceptional. |
| * Food: |
It was good to be exposed to the local cuisine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was a PERFECT balance of study and play. We had a break for about 1/2 day right in the middle, which allowed us to regroup and take stock of where we were emotionally. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
A LOT of people got diarrhea, but there's not much you can do about that. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably dropped $500 over the course of the whole two week trip, and only maybe $100 of that was on gifts that I brought back. Mostly I bought food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The money changers take a real nice chunk of your money out for "processing". Like 18%. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | In one day we visited an old fort overseeing the city (interesting), walked through the poorest townships in the world (devastating and gut-wrenching), and then went on a safari (exciting), finishing with sunset on the beach (breathtaking). Almost every day was like that. Such an emotional rollercoaster. |
