South Africa--A Complex Experience in the Rainbow Nation Past Review
By Lily M (The Evergreen State College) - abroad from 04/08/2019 to 05/22/2019 with
Wildlands Studies: The South Africa Project : Oceans, Coasts & Wildlife
Yes--made strong connections with professor and peers. Came back feeling inspired and with better formed goals for the future.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Professor and experts were friendly and knowledgeable. Covered a variety of ecology and anthropology topics in-depth and did lots of fieldwork. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Daniël was a wonderful professor. He was supportive and friendly and clearly enthusiastic about his work. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing ranged from campsites to nice little homesteads or airbnbs. Was impressed with the quality of housing we had for the price of the program. |
| * Food: |
Were largely shopping for ourselves. South Africa has a diverse range of meatless options for vegetarians/vegans at most stores, diet was accommodated for. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Lots of interesting cultural exchanges. Could have been prepared a little better for the reality of visiting townships. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Easy to vaccinate for program--typhoid shot is the most difficult to obtain but is available at most pharmacies. |
| * Safety: |
Some areas are somewhat rough but I felt absolutely safe within the program |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Amazing range of experiences, especially considering the relatively low price tag. |
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) |
Exchange rate in South Africa was very good. Shopping for groceries was biggest source of spending but food prices were very reasonable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep track of expenses--it's easy to spend without thinking when the prices are better than in your home country |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | Make connections! You might fall in love with a place and want to come back--connections will make that possible. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
