Past Review
By Erika G (Social Work., The University of Texas at Austin) for
University of Texas - Austin: Accra - Social Work Maymester
I learned so much about Ghana, Africa and the African American experience! I wanted to learn about social development abroad, but I learned far more than that! I was quickly intrigued by Ghana's rich history and the different yet similar culture.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was hard to get assignements done on top of all of the great excursions and activities. As much as I appreciated and wanted to know about the content of the assigned readings there was not much time or energy for concentrating on the readings and reflection assignments. Maybe if we had these assignments assigned to us during the previous semester then there would be more time to process the information while in Ghana. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The professor was great. She was accessible and helpful. Her Program coordinator was also amazing! He was helpful, friendly and had a lot of knowledge since he was Ghanaian. We also had other Ghanaians who helped with the program who were all very friendly and helpful. The program TA was easily frazzled, which often resulted in her being rude towards students. She was also in charge of any illnesses and she often minimized students symptoms and disreguarded complaints. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We stayed in East Legon (Accra area) in 2 hotels. First at Catters Hostel but we were moved due to complaints over not having hot water and repairs not being made promptly. We moved to Sonant Court, a very nice hotel in the same area but closer to a mall and in an area where we could awlk around more. When we traveled to Cape coast and Kumasi we stayed in very nice hotels! <br /><br /> |
| * Food: |
I was glad with the mix of local and traditional options as well as having salads and other options. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
So many great things! We attended a fashion show, World Cup games (Ghana won!), visited slave castles, kente cloth makers... Im sure Im forgeting something... |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The TA responsible for health concerns was rude and didn't seem concerned with some students health. The other person who stayed at the hotel with us was Ghanaian and his concepts on health weren't the same as ours - although he at least responded to concerns. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Ghana is not as cheap as I would have thought. Most things are about the same price while some things at the grocery store are very expensive (esp school supplies!). I didn't realize we would be paying for laundry - I would just inform students of this cost next time. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be open to the experience! Learn from your peers as well as the Ghanaians. Be open to the lessons the professor has to teach. |
