The most life-changing class I'll likely ever take Past Review
By Michael M (Arts Administration (Music Performance), University of Kentucky) - abroad from 07/28/2012 to 08/18/2012 with
ThisWorldMusic: Traveling - Study in Ghana: Music, Arts, Culture
I learned the music, dance, and history of both Gahu and Atsiabegkor. I also gained a rather thorough understanding of Ghanaian, and more specifically, both traditional and current Ewe culture. I also gained an understanding of what it means for music (and dance) to truly be your life, rather than your career. The experience was absolutely worthwhile, and I will absolutely do whatever it takes to have this experience again some day.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was challenged on an extremely high level musically, culturally, intellectually, and personally. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As I'm sure most international experiences do, it took time to feel comfortably integrated, but the time definitely came and I eventually felt very integrated into their culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Every possible precaution, and then some, was taken during the course of this trip. I'm not sure I could have felt more safe, considering the health care environment we were in. |
| * Safety: |
When it comes down to it, we were as safe as we possibly could have been and took every precaution to make sure that was the case. The only obvious, consistent threat was any time we were driving anywhere, but that is just the culture of that area and is a risk the traveller must be willing to take. If they are, it is well worth it. |
| 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) |
I spent a total of just under $750, but since that was planned it was not a problem. The low rating for this question is purely based on the scale provided. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It averaged around $250, but varied quite a bit due to the different settings of each particular week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Sharing meals at hotels saves a significant amount of money. At the hotels we stayed at, half of a meal may not completely fill you, but it is definitely enough to sustain you until the next meal. |
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 |
There was no requirement to learn a language by the end of the program, but there was plenty of opportunity for it if you so chose. The only part of the course that included language was learning a few traditional Ewe songs during class. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N/A |
| 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? | There is plenty of opportunity to learn any of the handful of languages used throughout the country of Ghana. My only piece of advice is to be open minded about it and to not be afraid to ask questions with the curiosity of a child. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | Nothing. Not to say I know nothing that I didn't know before, but I truly enjoyed having absolutely no idea what to expect and having it all just hit me as time went on. As a result of participating instead of anticipating, I was able to truly live in every moment, and I wouldn't trade that opportunity for any prior knowledge. |
