Good Ghana!!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was enrolled in two 3-credit political science courses at the University of Ghana, Legon, and have nothing but positive things to say about my experience. Firstly, the country of Ghana is extremely rich in culture and history, and the people of Ghana carry very open minds and open hearts. Secondly, Ghana is an amazing place to see firsthand, from the diverse experiences of going to Reggae parties on the beach, to hiking through the canopy of West African rain forest, watching elephants play leisurely in waterholes, and touring the infamous slave castle in Cape Coast. I'll greatly cherish all of these experiences throughout the rest of my life. And, of course the classes themselves were also very rewarding. I will always remember my professor from Developing West African Politics, Prof. Ambrosah. His antics were great, such a wonderful person full of cheerful personality. And a quote of his while out to lunch discussing the future of West African leaders, he said, "We are not educated on these issues and this is the problem. This is why we need to go directly to our leaders and punch them in the face!" Absolutely classic! I had a great experience and a fantastic time, and I would recommend this program to anyone looking for a unique and culturally rich experience along with a lifetime of memories.

On-site administration of your program

The program director was great. She was extremely generous and accommodating to the best she could be. She let students do whatever it was they wanted to, but she was always there to assist if needed. The organized trips were also very well worth it, although I'm usually a solo traveler. The only real criticism I have is that she was difficult to get a hold of when needed sometimes. I think part of this was attributed to the fact that it was over summer and much of the university was shut down, so it was harder to locate people at any given time. Also, none of us had cell phones which made contacting people a bit more difficult.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorms were fine for the short amount of time I was there, which was only 6 weeks. It would be quite difficult to live off campus with where the university is located, it's slightly removed from the main city of Accra which is easy enough to get to. The dorms were definitely safe, no worries on that end. I liked having other international students living directly around me as well, it just made for a more interesting experience. There was also a kitchen on every floor, so cooking wasn't much of a problem.

Much of the local food is great and the mangoes were fantastic! Being that it was summer, much of the university was shut down. So, the food variety was relatively constant, pretty much chicken and rice. But, the spices they used put it above the typical chicken and rice I'm used to from the US. All in all, the food was quite good.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Everything about this part of the trip was amazing. To sum it up, Reggae parties on the beach, slave castles, rain forest, elephants, multitudes of monkeys and wild boars, sandals every day, smiles on virtually every face, camping in huts on the beach, pristine jungle and waterfalls, fresh cocoa plants, delicious fruit, and you never really ask yourself what time it is...

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

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

Twi, a West African language, was offered during the summer courses. I would recommend trying it, just as I would recommend trying to learn as much language as you can when experiencing a new country or culture, however, English is all you need to survive and communicate with people. I learned some Twi in the beginning, but did not take the language course.

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• Dorm

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• International Students