It Ended Before it Began-I Fell in Love with Senegal Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academics were neither rigorous or intense for this program. However, the level of academics helped to balance out the culture shock. I loved my French class, and my Wolof class was pretty good.

On-site administration of your program

The staff at CIEE are always there to help. Because there is such culture shock in the beginning of the semester, they are basically like temporary parents. They take care of everyone and really do their best to make sure everyone has an unforgettable experience.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I switched homestay families after the first week because my original family was having marriage issues. My second family was very lovely, however because they had been hosting for so many years they were less interested/invested in my visit. While they didn't take the time to show me around or really even talk to me that much in the beginning, I had a lot of independence and they were always supportive of my leaving the house to explore. By the end, I became much closer with them.

The food situation was pretty rough for me, but some of my classmates loved the food! A LOT of fish, rice, sheep and bread. Not many vegetables at all. My host family gave me fish almost every night. Luckily, there are places in every home stay town where you can buy snacks or meals. Also, at the CIEE center, there is a woman who sells amazing sandwiches. You will most likely miss american food/having food options, but there are definitely ways to make it more bearable.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

While I didn't come away with many super close Senegalese friends my own age, my everyday interactions and the friendships I was able to form with older Senegalese people helped me feel integrated. Senegal is incredibly welcoming. When I learned Wolof, it became much easier and more fun to talk with people.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

On my very last day in Senegal, I got a kidney stone. A doctor from SOS medicine came to my house, and then one of the CIEE staff brought me to another doctor. They were all very helpful and supportive.

I felt incredibly safe, especially in Ouakam, the town where I lived. Every once and a while a student would get something stolen, however most of the time that can be very easily avoided. I rarely carried my iPhone with me and definitely didn't take it out in public. I also didn't carry large amounts of money with me. It always felt safer to walk with other people at night, but honestly I never felt scared or threatened.

Absolutely. My CIEE peers are basically family now, as are the CIEE staff. I would not trade this experience, and all that I learned, for the world.

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

Compared to other study abroad experiences, incredibly easily. I spent about $80 every 2 weeks, and spent most of it on food. Other than that I bought fabric or went on little excursions (Ile de Madeleine, Ile de Ngor, Goree, etc) and taxis (which are usually between $1 and $3)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We weren't really encouraged to use our french, except for during french class. Same for wolof. However the students on the program were all pretty motivated so there was a lot of improvement.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• The independence CIEE gave us
• The people on my program
• Senegal!!

• Host family placements
• Orientation
• Providing information about outside food sources