Fun Past Review
By A student (Environmental Studies., Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/16/2012 to 12/14/2012 with
Round River Conservation Studies - Namibia Desert Program
I learned a lot about Namibia and conservation but I also learned a lot about myself. It was worthwhile but it wasn't always easy.
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. |
It wasn't difficult academically, but it was a difficult semester in terms of cultural shock, being in a small group, camping the whole time, not having much contact with home, etc. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everything ran pretty smoothly. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I love camping! |
* Food: |
The food is fine. The program isn't about food. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This is part of the program that lacks if you're interested in the culture. I would have liked to have more regular interaction with a broader spectrum of local people. |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were never any major issues that I was aware of and all of the minor issues that came up and that I observed were taken care of well. |
* Safety: |
Over all, I felt pretty safe. You just follow their instructions and it should be fine. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
I barely spent any money while I was gone and I could definitely have spent less if I had wanted to. |
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $300 the whole time (3 months) |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | In terms of booking airplane tickets, don't do exactly what flights they tell you to do. Definitely do your own investigation to find cheeper stuff. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
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? |
|
* What could be improved? |
|
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That you don't get very much internet at all. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Natural History |
Course Department: | N/A |
Instructor: | Vehihama Kasupi |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | The course was challenging because there was a lot to memorize from plants to animals to scat and spore. Vehi, the instructor, was extremely knowledgable since he is local and knows a ton about the area. We were assessed by one final exam at the end where we walked around outside and had to identify things. We also had a long slide show and had to identify what was in the slides. |
Credit Transfer Issues: | I haven't transfered the credits yet, so we will see ... |