Intensive Dance and Drumming in Rural Ghana Past Review
By Monica W (Knox College) - abroad from 12/08/2015 to 12/20/2015 with
ThisWorldMusic: Traveling - Study in Ghana: Music, Arts, Culture
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Can be made as intense or as laid-back as you'd like, depending on how many extra classes you take. However, the dancing is very physically intensive. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Jeremy was always on top of everything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very good! |
| * Food: |
Really wonderful, lots of vegetarian options, and if you like curries, Ghanaian food is a real treat! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It's hard to feel as if you really have a strong grasp of the culture when you are traveling with a group of foreign students in a country for two weeks, but having the chance to interact with local villagers in Dagbe was great! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Make sure to get your yellow fever vaccine before coming! |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe during the program. I would encourage students not to go out on their own, as it can be dangerous, but during daylight hours in a group it's no problem! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was a fantastic opportunity. Even though I have not kept up with dancing over the years, it was a great engaging experience and I loved interacting with the culture and community. |
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 was able to live very easily on a cheap budget, because food is inexpensive and so are most things you buy. Depending on how much you buy, then the costs begin to add up... |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50, maybe. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Think about what you're buying before you purchase it. Make sure it's of a relative good quality and can be used by you or someone else in the future. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | Make sure to interact with local community members as much as you can. They are a wonderful group of people! |
