Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It is what you make of it. Past Review

By (IPE, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/25/2012 to 06/11/2012 with

University of Cape Town: Cape Town - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was very worthwhile. I developed friendships that are valuable, i learned a great deal about a side of southern Africa I had yet to encounter.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Some of the courses were very time consuming, but many were not particularly rigorous. The best courses were higher level courses, and I recommend anyone thinking to attend peruse the course catalog fully and stay away from introductory courses to anything but a language.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Jonathan mitchell was particularly helpfull. There were a number of hiccups in the registration process (all done on paper!) but staff were helpful and we got it sorted out without any major issues.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was very nice, but very very expensive. Watch out for pay as you go electricity, as landlords tend to install electrical water heaters, cooking implements, and space heaters, so as to not have to worry about monthly bills. Thus, because these are inefficient, pay as you go electricity becomes really quite expensive, we paid around 250-300 per person a month.

* Food:

you cook your own food. Cape town has more delicious restraunts and charming local dives than you can count, you can eat as well or as cheaply as you desire.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This was one of the weaker aspects of the program. International students are housed together, so it is much easier to feel a part of the international student community than to feel integrated into local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

UCT has taken great pains to make sure students are safe, and feel safe, on campus and in the surrounding area. Cape town is a large and dangerous city, so care must be taken, but I never felt insecure.

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)

* 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? not including electricity, probably around 80 -100 per week. Including electricity, more like 130 - 150.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Find housing without pay as you go electricity, choose housing in Mowbray or obs rather than Rosebank or Rondebosch.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? It depends on the language. Xhosa is easy to practice, but you'll find in the beginning it is difficult to do so.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • The setting.
  • Fellow students.
* What could be improved?
  • More advance information on classes.
  • Housing amongst local students.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much it costs to live in Cape Town compared to other South African cities.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Xhosa Communication
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments: A fascinating, usefull introductory language course that did a great job of bringing me from no familiarity with the language to the level of a somewhat halting, confused child in one semester. The course was intensive, interesting, and rewarding.
Credit Transfer Issues: