Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Know Your Company but do NOT Pass Up This Opportunity! Past Review

By (Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut) - abroad from 05/11/2015 to 06/05/2015 with

UConn: South Africa - South African Ecology - Summer Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
How to identify and track animals as well as the culture of the area.

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.

I learned a lot, I think it was very nice to get a more in depth knowledge of another country. Also to see and learn about animals we have only seen on animal planet was incredible.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Our instructors Lee and D (Diana) were fantastic. We had other presenters but those two were consistently with us.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I thought we would be sleeping in tents, which for me would have been more thrilling but what we received was nothing to complain about it was about 10 bare basic 2-bed rooms.

* Food:

To me food is food and I'm happy to receive a meal that does not make me sick but according to some of our instructors the meals were not up to par with what they had requested, so the cooks only lasted for my group.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very rarely, our instructors would talk about the differences of cultures but because we were with ourselves most of the day there was not much interaction with the locals. It was not until we left the camp that I experienced the culture but still not quite integrated.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

So long as you have the pure basics of common sense and listen to the instructors you will be fine.

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)

Food was provided almost every day. When we left camp a few times we had to buy and because I went to Cape Town I had to purchase my own food, but that was separate from the program. Expenses are either fair or cheap compared to US costs.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $10
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you choose to go to Cape Town, most restaurants are very affordable. Decent quality is about equal to our food prices.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Instructors
  • Location
  • Animals
* What could be improved?
  • Food - More variety of local foods
  • More time outside of camp
  • Longer time (optional for those who wish)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? My only issue was with my group, many of whom had established friendships prior to the group. It felt clique-y after a week and some peers became extremely annoying. So I wish I had known the people better before I had decided

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

African Field Ecology
Course Department: Natural Resouces + The Environment
Instructor: Morty Ortega
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Each week of the spring semester we got together to learn more about South Africa and the status of the country. It was mostly movies and books we were assigned so it made it easier and fun to learn. When we arrived in South Africa with our respective groups we learned much more on tracking animals and more.
Credit Transfer Issues: