I wish I had gone to Tanzania for longer! October 13, 2022
By Benjamin I (Environmental Science, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor) - abroad from 07/08/2019 to 08/09/2019 with
The School for Field Studies / SFS: Tanzania - Wildlife Management Studies
A great knowledge of wildlife management and conservation, as well as lifelong friends.
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. |
Courses were perfectly challenging so that you had read, learn, and ask plenty of questions but not so overwhelming that you couldn't enjoy your experience abroad. A great library with helpful books as well as very available faculty made the learning experience very smooth. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Student Affairs Management was superb and often went above and beyond in order to make all of the students feel comfortable and welcome within the program. A wonderful balance between making sure we were respectful of the facilities and Tanzania culture, while also allowing students plenty of room to have fun. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Clean water and hot shower made for a good stay. Mosquito netting for all of the bedding so that we could sleep comfortably. |
| * Food: |
Best fruit I have ever eaten, and all the meals were great. They are very allergy friendly, which was super helpful for me since I have a peanut allergy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Got to do a lot of great volunteering for local businesses. Also had plenty of time when not in class to explore the local village to go to coffee shops, the tailor, and the markets. The most fun thing is playing soccer with the locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Excellent, for me it was great how aware and helpful they were with my peanut allergy. But I know they were very responsive to any other health issues or concerns that arose with students on the trip. |
| * Safety: |
Felt very safe at all times, the main camp is well protected with a gate and fencing. Never felt too uncomfortable being in such a new place. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would absolutely do this program again, a once in a lifetime experience. |
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? | No more than $100 per week (brought $500 for the 4 weeks). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
They were great about encouraging us to attend Swahili classes and speak what we could with locals. It's very fun to use in the markets and shops and with the SFS staff. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Second year Italian class. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Speak it as much as you can with the locals and staff. Speak in it until you can't figure out how to say something. It's all about trial and error, and definitely do not be embarrassed to say something wrong. |
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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That 4 weeks will fly by very quickly, and it is worth doing a semester long program. Though the 4 week program is a great introduction to travelling internationally if you have little to no experience. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
