Uganda & Rwanda: The Positive Experience of a Lifetime! Past Review
By Maddy M (International Relations & Global Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) for
SIT Study Abroad: Rwanda - Peace & Conflict Studies
Too many and too deep to talk about all on here.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There were a TON of lectures that lasted all day. The lectures were normally pretty good and informative, but sometimes they just repeated what the readings had covered. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the administration in the host country was local and one of them had studied in America for college, so they understood local culture as well as the differences between the local culture and American culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Lots of staple foods= lots of starches, meaning rice and beans, fried plantains and stew, etc. It's considered rude to refuse food/not finish your food, so be ready to eat up! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Visiting the NGOs, the refugee camp, and the sub-counties. They would mention special events in class that you could go to (Liberation Day celebration) or your host family would take you places (wedding, friend's house). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Do not ride boda-bodas or motorbikes at night. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | No. If you end up going to the hospital while you are there though, that can be expensive because you pay full price and then bring the hospital bill back with you to the U.S. to get a refund or your money back. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Most people spoke English as well as their native language. The language component and acquisition was minimal. It just covered greetings, goodbyes, thank you, and basic verbs and nouns. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | Students need to be engaged in world issues and global cultures. Don't go if you're going to be close-minded about local traditions/culture, that sort of negativity and narrow-mindedness won't serve you or the other students on the program. Be open-minded, compassionate, and have your heart open to new people and things. |
