Botswana, encourage growth through recognition of weakness in an environment encompassing uniqueness Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Depending on what you study, the University of Botswana varies on quality of education. I have taken many Psychology courses, one social work class, one Setswana (language) course, and one science class. Overall, i would say that the quality of education is low. However, the chemistry course that i took was very challenging, and by the end of the semester, i felt like i had learned a lot. On the other hand, i did not learn much in my psychology courses. However, this was not due to the classes being easy, but because the instructors tended to use inconsistent methods of teaching. My first semester, one Psychology instructor missed 7 weeks of classes, and because they couldn't find a replacement during that time, we missed about half of the semester. Furthermore, like all other Psychology courses i have taken here, the textbook did not parallel the material presented in class at all. To make matters worse, like the other Psychology courses, tests and exams did not reflect the material presented in class or that included in the textbook. I only received one B, and this class was it. Overall, in the courses i took, grading can be pretty subjective and unjustified. So, depending on what courses you want to take abroad, the quality of the education varies.

On-site administration of your program

Honestly, the administrative staff is poor overall. The administrative staff that works solely for the international students tend to be slow to help and don't enjoy being bothered by the needs of international students. There is one staff member who was very nice, and helpful during class registration time. However, for the rest of the office staff, i would recommend handling any paper work on your own if you want it done in a timely manner or don't want it lost. Overall, the administrative staff at the University tend to be lazy and rude at times. Although this does not apply to all UB administrative staff, the staff here tend to be rude and not so eager to help. I felt like i was being thrown from office to office so that the staff at each office could displace my needs elsewhere.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Like almost all other international students, i live in block 480, aka Las Vegas! This is where many second year and above students live at the university. During the many hot days in Bots, you'll be needing a fan because the rooms can feel like an oven at times. Also, although the block is being "watched" by the security guards, anyone is allowed into the block and because there are no locks on the buildings, anyone can rome through our dorms. To prevent theft, one must purchase their own padlock for his or her room. My roommate has been super cool, but it's almost like i have two roommates because his girlfriend stays here at times as well because she couldn't get accommodation on campus. This semester, my roommate isn't here often so other friends and local students stay here... no wasted accommodation (african style haha). The university provides sheets and blankets for the beds, which aren't needed for about six months due to the scorching heat! I guess i will be missing Las Vegas when i leave. It's one of the coolest locations on campus and almost anything flies out here. On weekends, it would be easy for one to find a drinking buddy floating from balcony to balcony if one desired. Oh yeah, and there are two male blocks and two female blocks within the Las Vegas block. Theft has occurred here, but block 480 is on the look out, and any perpetrators that think they wanna steal a laptop, think again, because we'll burn your car down just like the perp during first semester!

Okay, so in my opinion, the food on campus sucks. But when one considers the price in usd that they pay for a meal, the food isn't so bad. I'm pretty careful about what i eat, so i bought a fridge and buy pretty healthy food at WoolWorth's.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Since i've been here, i have had some experiences that i wouldn't have imagined prior. I loved traveling up north at the Okavango, Chobe River, Moremi, Victoria Falls, etc. I saw so many amazing animals, met so many cool people and really enjoyed my time up there. Also, i traveled to Cape Town, Jo-burg, and Mozambique, all of which, were quite amazing.... especially Mozambique. None of these events were arranged by ISEP. I guess my most consistent social activity has been playing basketball. Shortly after shooting hoops at the courts, a city team affiliated with UB asked me to be on their team. We practice hard three times a week and have about two games a week as well. I love playing ball and always have. This has given me a great opportunity to get to know local students, be the only foreigner, and work with locals to achieve a common goal... win! The courts are all outdoors and aren't the best, but i don't care because i'm just happy to have had the opportunity to play competitive ball out here!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Depending on what kinds of things you like doing, Gaborone varies on safety. For many students, Gabs is safe and still pretty fun. However, many international students like excitement, so we put ourselves in dodgy situations. I remember being present during multiple robberies and fights at the local clubs and bars. My female friends that are white are targeted big time when we go to sketchy places like Zoom, G Wa Wa, or wherevs. I guess i'm also targeted but less so because i'm big and tall. During first semester, there was an event on campus called Fresher's ball, and on this particular night, many bad things happened at the university. Supposedly, there were 13 successful rapes reported, and many more robberies. I didn't go out that night, but my friends were robbed, beat up (one even sent to the hospital), and almost raped. Okay, but please note, that this group of friends were drinking late at night but they were in a parking lot closest to our dorms. In my opinion, security was lacking that night. I have been in one fight since i got here and that was after i watched a guy punch a girl in the face. I guess the most important thing to be aware of in Bots is HIV. As a white guy, i got a lot of attention from local girls... many of which possessed a sense of african beauty that i was not accustomed to. Unfortunately, due to some alcohol influenced decisions, i engaged in sexual activity with a few of the girls that gave me attention. Luckily, i didn't acquire any infectious diseases or STIs for that matter. However, due to the window period necessary for an accurate HIV test, i lived in an almost unbearable state of paranoia for some months out here. So, my point is, remember where you are because in GC (gabs city), the HIV is one in three!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

At the University of Botswana, English is the medium used. Like most other international students, i enrolled in the Setswana language course and spent one semester formally studying the language. This class was scheduled for 5 hours a week, which became quite boring at times. However, i did learn a lot of Setswana in this course and attempted to apply what i learned in class in everyday settings. This was a great experience for me, but because almost all people (especially at UB) in Bots can speak English, learning Setswana wasn't vital to our daily living. I practiced Setswana with local friends, my roommate, and with other international students. For this, our language instructor was quite fond of me, and despite the class surpassing the verge of drudgery at times, i miss my Setswana course.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

• The people
• The relaxed vibe of Bots
• The scenery

• Academics
• Work ethic of employees here