South Africa: LOVE!!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

3 stars on campus, 5 stars off. At University, the workload differs from the American educational system most in terms of homework. Throughout the semester reading is assigned and discussed in mandatory class sessions but there are only two rounds of testing on the information, midterms and finals. Other than class participation, there is no gauge of how well you are doing in the class and the majority of your grade relies on the two testing periods. Since I was taking Political Science classes, testing was done in the form of written assignments between 3,000-5,000 words each. There were around 4 papers due for each class throughout the semester. Grading is also done on a very different scale. A's (or the equivalent) are very rare and usually only give to work which will be published. It is not unlikely to have no idea how you are doing in a class and teachers are less willing to stay after class and discuss progress and grades. One of the greatest learning opportunities I found was in a class set off-campus (through the University of Stellenbosch) entitled Learning through Sustainable Community Engagement. This service-learning class was held once a week from 9am-3pm at Lynedoch Primary School and gave students the opportunity to not only learn about sustainable community engagement, but to practice it through teaching opportunities at the school once a week. I became so invested in the program, as did the rest of the class, and took away more than I could have ever learned in a classroom. I would 100% reccomend it to anyone interested in community engagement.

On-site administration of your program

The program director, Bradley Rink, made the program what it was. He was available to us 24/7 and did his best to make it an enjoyable experience. His knowledge of South Africa and the surrounding region was unsurpassed by anyone I met and he was able to show us the beauty of South African culture through field trips in Cape Town and throughout the country.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in an on-campus apartment complex consisting of American students, International students, and South African students. The apartments were fully furnished with bed, sheets, kitchen, and sitting area including pots/pans/plates/cups/bowls. The nearest grocery store was a 25 minute walk but there was a little store (like a 7/11) right out front of the dorm. It was about a 10-15 minute walk to classes and 20 minutes to downtown nightlife. This was not an issue at all because the area is very safe and everyone walks in groups. It was not unual to walk 30 minutes to get to your favorite bar/club/restaurant.

The food was delicious. Grocery stores carry your typical items at reasonable prices and the restaurants serve a wide variety of cuisine.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There are too many to name, but some of the activity highlights of south africa are hiking up beautiful mountains in stellenbosch and cape town, cultural tours throughout cape town, boat cruise around the cape and to Robben Island, camping in the Sans Village, backpacking down the Wild Coast, shark-cage diving off Cape Agulus, bungee jumping on the Garden Route, riding ostriches in Outshoorn, and a number of other memorable adventures. South Africa is the ideal spot for any adventure seeker.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was not sick throughout the program so I am not sure how comprehensive their health care system is, but safety was not an issue for the majority of the trip. I never ran into any issues, but you have to be smart, know where you are at all times, and be aware that you are an american studying in a foreign country. Osama BinLaden was killed while I was abroad and this brought up many issues of safety especially in a country that loves to talk about politics, and there were a number of instances that week of American students being insulted, but the best thing to do is step back from the situation and realize everyone has their opinions for a reason and respect that, not contribute to the conflict. A quick temper and immaturity are two qualities you do not want to study abroad with anywhere.

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

We practiced Afrikaans in bi-weekly class sessions (3 hours each) and while I was teaching at the local primary school (4 hours a week).

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• Apartment

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• Americans
• International Students
• Local Students