Study Abroad in Ghana Past Review
By Lorene B (Dance and Anthropology, Barnard College) - abroad from 01/04/2010 to 05/03/2010 with
Study Abroad Programs in Ghana
see above. changed my life.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Little useful information, bad, patronizing lectures |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Needed more guidance going into the Volta region, needed more advice on how to ward off men who harassed me, wanted more academic stimulation |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
extra room in various families' houses; usually got a pretty nice place to stay in comparison to the rest of the living quarters <br /><br /> I got wonderful families who took great care of me |
| * Food: |
gave me plenty of good food whenever I needed it |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I saw so much of the country, learned so much about different groups of people, and my life was changed. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Families are instructed to keep you safe, but you need to keep your personal belongings safe. SIT makes that clear; listen to them. Health issues were well addressed, but as far as psychological health goes, you're on your own. |
| 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? | very little...I got a stipend out of my program fees that covered a lot of things. If I wanted special stuff it was on my own bill, but for food and transit to class the fees cover it. Except for during my independent study period. By only giving you around 500 Ghana Cedi (again, out of fees you've already paid), they make it your responsibility to pay informants, get gifts, get lessons, or get people to come perform with you as part of a final showing (ie, if you learned about a dance like I did). SIT doesn't warn you that you may end up spending a lot for these things. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | see above |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I learned the language (conversational bits) on the program |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Know it'll feel like camp, try to get in touch with students who have done it so you know how to spend your money, force good advice out of the administration for where you want to go for your independent study project |
