Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Learning one's own culture and others' cultures through music and dance. Past Review

By (Anthropology, art, history, business, Hampshire College) - abroad from 07/25/2013 to 08/14/2013 with

ThisWorldMusic: Traveling - Study in Ghana: Music, Arts, Culture

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I definitely learned more about who I was as a traveler, as a person and as an American. Through this trip I better understand how to move through spaces that I may or may not know and how to go with the flow, be comfortable with the uncomfortable and how to always find a way to share laughter with others.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Definitely learned a lot of new approaches to learning dance and music that I can apply outside of the arts as well as within it. The Dagbe staff were incredibly talented and were always there to answer questions, show new moves and rhythms or share a conversation. The program was accessible to all skill levels in music and dance, don't be afraid to jump in and learn something new, no one will shame you and everyone will support you! I felt challenged enough so that I had to give my all but I never felt discouraged, enthusiasm was part of every moment of this program. The different sections and locations of the program offered a rich exposure to the culture and history of Ghana and opened up new ideas of understanding of myself and how I related to communities around me locally and globally.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I always felt safe and the program definitely covered everything it promised to. I was able to work with the program coordinators to create new and different opportunities of education for myself alongside the scheduled program.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was great. Get ready for cold showers, be open and go with the flow, you'll come to realize how well This World Music takes care of you.

* Food:

At the hotels you definitely have access to more food options. Dagbe has incredible home cooked meals but the dishes are not always diverse. Again be open to trying new things and don't someone else's yum's!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I definitely felt like a tourist at the beginning of the trip but by the end of my time at Dagbe i felt like I was beginning to connect with a lot of the individuals at Dagbe, not as a customer, but as a fellow community member.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Even though I did get sick (you will, it's Africa, just bring Cipro and take your malaria pills) I knew that my group leaders had my back a 100% of the time.

* Safety:

I always felt safe. If we wanted to go around the village or go out in the city while we were traveling around Ghana we always had a guide or someone who knew the area.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $400
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? As mentioned, figure out how you want to balance private lessons and buying for yourself and others. You should do both just look at the big picture of how you want to spend your three weeks.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The opportunity to build community by being at the Dagbe Centre
  • The different spaces and contexts we moved through that gave us a larger picture of Ghana, its culture and its history.
* What could be improved?
  • The preparation on being respectful when entering different cultural settings that you may be uncomfortable with
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much of a culture shock I would have to my own culture, not necessarily Ghanaian culture.