The AmaZING South Africa: A lesson in Ubuntu and a slower-paced life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I felt that my experience at UCT was slightly different than many of my friends' experiences. I was lucky with the courses I chose in that I had great professors for three of my classes. The professors I had were not "typical" of UCT--I actually got to know them, which does not occur often there. The different grading system took a bit of getting used to. I was more used to having multiple tests and essays throughout the semester, but some of my classes only had two tests or two essays for the entire semester. There is a lot more emphasis placed on the final examination. Also, I found one person's description of the grading system in South Africa useful for helping me to understand what was going on. "In the States, you start with 100 points and get a lower grade for each mistake or mark against you. Here in South Africa, you start at 0 and have to prove your case in order to get points."

On-site administration of your program

The CIEE staff are, for the most part, very happy to help with whatever problems might arise, although they also are somewhat rigid with what they will allow. I personally did not have any issues with them, but some of my friends had a difficult time getting proper paperwork filled out and even getting the proper advising on what would happen with transfer credit, etc. The academic and residential staff were overall much more helpful than the staff who coordinated volunteering efforts. Oftentimes, we would have to fit in six of us as passengers into a car basically the size of a Toyota Corolla.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

For me, the homestay experience was one of the best parts of the program. I really enjoyed getting the true "Cape Town" experience, as most students who attend UCT who are from Cape Town commute every morning the same way I did--on the train. I met some very interesting people on the train and was able to see much more South African life that way. As well, my host family was very welcoming. They were very open in sharing their home, thoughts and ideas about national and international politics, and in helping my American "brother" and I get the most out of our excursions and experiences in Cape Town and throughout South Africa. I was treated as a daughter, and we would have dinner together as a family most nights of the week. My neighborhood was basically a middle class suburb. Most residents of the area are classified as "coloured," and this lent another different, fascinating perspective to my time in South Africa, as the coloured people were previously disadvantaged under the apartheid government. I felt safe most of the time, with the only exceptions being when I decided not to follow my host parents' advice and take public transportation at times when I shouldn't have. Even then, though, I had no trouble during my stay. The one downside to my host family being so far away is that it made it difficult to get together with my friends from the University. To save money, I oftentimes would stay with friends who stayed in the "res" (dorm), but this did require a bit of extra planning on my part.

I swear my host parents should be part-time chefs. I benefited from having fabulous curry dishes a few nights a week and from very well-balanced meals. My host family was very environmentally-conscious, and as such they grew a lot of the vegetables we would use in meals. I am a vegetarian, but I ate meat at my host family's house. They were willing to cook vegetarian meals for me, but I didn't want to burden them or miss out on some of the more authentic South African cuisine. South Africa in general is a very meat-loving country, but in Cape Town there are many vegetarian options. Living in the university residences would make meals for vegetarians even easier. I had many vegetarian friends in the res, and they had no trouble keeping a well-balanced vegetarian diet.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

By far the best event put on by CIEE is the township homestay. It really was a great chance to get to another part of the Cape peninsula and spend a weekend with a family that really wanted to share their culture with you and learn about yours. My family and I talked for hours every day about political and religious differences between the U.S. and South Africa, and they also had some really interesting questions about everyday life in the U.S. that I found very unique. Some of the other activities CIEE did were fun, but as there are so many people on the program, it really felt like they were taking the herd of Americans to the touristy places.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Coming from studying at Tulane for a few years, I felt prepared when I went to Cape Town. There definitely was a difference between the students who go to schools in cities like New Orleans, NY and D.C. and those that go to schools in small college towns. In many ways, the same rules for New Orleans apply to Cape Town. Walking alone at night is generally a bad idea, especially if you are female. I only had two incidences that truly freaked me out, but these were due to my stupidity more than anything else (again--be smart about taking the public transport at night). I heard of a few of the American students getting mugged, but the biggest issue to deal with is pickpocketing. I did not really use the healthcare system, and so I can't necessarily speak to how it works. I did find the pharmacists fairly helpful when I went to them with questions. Malaria is not a problem in Cape Town, but there are parts of South Africa where malaria is prevalent, and it is best to take some meds along in case you decide to travel to any of those areas. Also, the HIV rate in South Africa is abysmal. In orientation, they have multiple presentations on safe sex practices and the like because this is such a big problem there. I believe I needed to get the typhoid vaccine, but I think that was the only country-specific shot (also available in pill form) I needed to get.

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

Select all that apply

• Host Family

Select all that apply

• Americans
• Host Family