University of Pretoria. Become a Tukkie! Past Review
By peter h (Business Administration, Management and Operations., Loras College) - abroad from 01/21/2013 to 06/25/2013 with
University of Pretoria: Pretoria - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
So many perspectives you will learn about. Being outside the US was a great experience and has helped me find out what to do with my life. Gives you a better appreciation for your home country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Depends on how much you want to challenge yourself. You have a wide variety of classes to choose from. Look ahead to find what classes you would like to be in. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They work on "African Time" which is very slow and they take awhile to help. You have to be prepared to take the bull by the horns and do it yourself. Mainly for registration of classes at the beginning and making sure you get the paperwork filled out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Lived in a house with 4 other men. Upstairs had the same layout but had 7 people living in it. Comes with a kitchen, dining room, and 2 bathrooms. Supplied with cooking supplies and a maid comes daily, Monday through Friday, to clean the house. Was a gated community, which is a regular thing in South Africa, and had guards at the entrance. |
| * Food: |
Very diverse, especially when you travel around South Africa and the other countries. Be prepared to taste new things. Also a lot of fast food places around and normal food at the supermarket. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Was mistaken for a local the second day i was there. People thought i was an Afrikaner. Everyone is very friendly and you will learn the ropes pretty fast. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Only needed to find out about malaria pills, but didn't need it since it was dry season. There is an information session about your health insurance provider that you have to have in S.A. |
| * Safety: |
Living in a big city you will have problems. Don't travel by yourself! If you are smart you won't have any problems. You are provided a lock for your room, and should bring another one for your closet. It is a gated community with security guards so you will be fine. |
| 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) |
Depends on if you eat out, or stay on a college diet of ramen noodles. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 40 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | It does get cold in South Africa. You can always do something fun. Just have enough money! Traveling all over the country and other counties cost a lot. Also some countries you have to pay to get a visa there. |
