ThisWorldMusic is INCREDIBLE! Past Review

By (Percussion, Northern Illinois University) - abroad from 06/18/0014 to 07/10/2014 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Experiencing the music, dance, and culture left me hungry for more. Jeremy is incredibly organized, which made for a smooth, safe, and amazing experience.

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.

This was a fabulous experience and will hopefully attend again. I encourage anyone interested in drumming or dancing to attend this program.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Our group leader was very proactive in making sure we took preventative measures to prevent illness and combat small issues so they didn't become larger issues.

* Safety:

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)

The program fee includes most major expenses. There is not much expense otherwise.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $20
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I maintained a vegetarian/vegan diet, so it seemed that my food expenses were less than others in my group.

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
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Music/Dancing
  • Community
  • Jeremy's leadership
* What could be improved?
  • Splitting into leveled classes sooner would have enabled me to learn more.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It would have been beneficial to do more reading about the culture and history and also listen to more Ghanaian music before I went. I probably would have learned more and been able to ask better questions.