sweet Senegal Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes definitely aren't rigorous or stressful- I found it to be a welcome change of pace and felt it allowed me to be more immersed in the culture/other learning aspects of my semester abroad. There were definitely resources available but I didn't find the classes difficult enough to have to use them.

On-site administration of your program

The program staff were very welcoming and committed to making sure we had a safe and enjoyable experience in Dakar. I felt like if I ever had an emergency, they would be there. I will say there were some differences in expectations (i.e. organization, timeliness) between the students and program administration, but it never truly hindered the quality of my experience.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

This was one of my favorite parts of the program!!! My home stay family welcomed me in as their daughter, and I felt very connected to the 4 family members who lived in our house. Not only did I love getting to know a family, living in a homestay made me feel connected to the neighborhood around me- I got to know the barber from the shop around the corner, the little kids who played on my street, the guy from the boutique. Doing a homestay is the only way to really connect with the people around you.

I really came to enjoy the food! I was pushed to be more adventurous in terms of what I ate, and had lots of fish and rice over the course of my semester. Your diet doesn't really vary throughout the 4 months, which can be tiring, and I found what you eat depends on the class status of your host family- chicken and fish are more expensive. You definitely need to go into it with an open mind and be willing to try everything once!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

One of my favorite parts of the semester was how integrated I felt into my neighborhood and the local culture- I think living with a homestay and having Senegalese friends was a huge help with that. The people in Senegal are so welcoming and it's easy to jump in and immerse yourself in the way of life there.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I used the doctor service the program contracts with when I had a cold, and the program helped set it up so the doctor came to my house. I didn't have any major health issues, but will say that the local healthcare system is very different than what I am used to at home- I trust it but am happy I never had anything serious I needed to use it for. I got lots of vaccines before the program and didn't have any health issues, do not get the rabies vaccines! They are very expensive and you will not really need them if you are in Dakar.

By the end of the semester, I felt more secure and safe in my neighborhood and Dakar in general. I would say there is no more crime or safety issues than there is in any major European city- I did a program in France in the fall, and the exact same # of people got their phone stolen in France as people did in Senegal. I felt more cautious walking around as a woman alone at night, also in part because the infrastructure isn't as developed (not a lot of streetlights), but learned how to navigate this as the semester went on.

My semester in Dakar was so formative and fulfilling in terms of experiencing a place I never thought I would travel to- I was pushed to be flexible, keep an open mind, and to try all sorts of new things. I found my time in Dakar to be much more fulfilling than my semester in France because of the genuine connections I made with the people and place. Leaving was extremely difficult and I'm still in touch with my host family and friends, I can't wait to go back.

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

Because the dollar to CFA conversion is really strong ($1 = 500 CFA), it was really easy to stay well within a budget of $50/week. Your daily expenses will be transit + lunch, which comes out to $2-4/day. It depends how frivolous you want your spending to be- you can take taxis everywhere, get lots of snacks from Aushan (grocery store), and eat at American-type restaurants, and spend money that way. If you want to spend your money travelling around Senegal that can use up your budget too. All in all, prices are much more reasonable given that you are paying with an American budget.

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

The program encouraged us to use French and Wolof, but because everyone had such varying levels of French, the program staff usually spoke with us in English and conducted all relevant meetings in English.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• The people
• Homestay
• New experiences

• Classes
• Immersion aspect