Akwaaba Ghana! my amazing semester abroad. Past Review
By Aline G (International Relations and Affairs., Tufts University) - abroad from 07/18/2011 to 12/20/2012 with
Tufts Programs Abroad: Tufts in Ghana
Definitely one of the best experiences of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
For most classes, the only graded work was a final exam. Reading period was hectic, but the rest of the semester was very reasonable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Dr. Bilson is AMAZING!! He thinks of every possible situation and makes sure we are all comfortable and safe. He really wants students to have a great time. The staff definitely became our TIG family! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
ISH 1 is great. The layout of the building creates a breeze so it's never stiflingly hot. It also has the least issues with water and electricity. |
| * Food: |
Great food, I suggest trying foods other than jollof, waakye, and fried plaintains. Try garden egg (eggplant) stew, kelewele, and kontomire stew. Pizza Inn has a good deal for pizza on Tuesday. And the restaurants in Osu are great. Some foods are pretty spicy unless it caters to foreign guests.. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
By the end of the semester, I was really comfortable going around and doing any errand/activity. I loved going to the market, hanging out with friends, going to dinner - anything that I would do here for fun, I could understand a lot of Twi and I knew enough to get around. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
If you get sick and it lasts more than two days, tell Dr. Bilson. You can go to Nyaho clinic. It is in the Airport residential area. I've heard that it is better than the University Hospital. I went there a few time (rare) and the staff were very nice. The facilities are really clean and they also have a ward if you need to be admitted. The most common issues were stomach issues. Some of the malaria medication have side effects that may occur. |
| * Safety: |
I would take the same precautions that you would in any foreign city. Travel with fellow students until you are oriented with your surroundings. Don't walk in dark isolated areas, it gets dark around 7pm so plan accordingly. The campus is open and there is no campus escort so study with friends. Be cautious of who tries to befriend you. It's difficult to know about someone's background in such a short period of time so I made friends through mutual friends. |
| 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) |
You can live on the student stipend but you have to pay attention to money management. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150-200 cedis |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Set aside the money you want to use for the week in a safe place in your room. |
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 |
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| 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? |
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?
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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? | Don't go with any expectations. Go and take in everything. |
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. |
