Senegal: Learning from your Failures Past Review
By Jamayca W (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Wellesley College) for
CIEE: Dakar - Language & Culture
Yes, definitely
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. |
Not very much work but that is a good thing in this case because getting use to the culture and customs takes a long time, and since the program is about cultural integration it was better not to have as much work as we usually do in the states. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Communication channels could be improved. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Its ok for vegetarians because meat cost a lot money so it is mostly things vegetarians can eat but I would recommend trying all of the dishes you get even if they include meat just for the experience. The food is very oily and filled with MSG but that makes it really good, although very unhealthy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of the organized trips are amazing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Its very safe, safer than any big city in the US. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Living is very cheap in Senegal, you can get by on $20 a week with no problem but I would recommend $50 a week for emergency circumstances which often come up and anything touristy you would like to do. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Street food is better than retaurant food and 10xs cheaper. You will spend most of your money on food becasue the concept of "snacking" does not exsit in Senegal so hunger can be an issue for students. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Above 200 level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
You need to use the native language in almost every interaction you have with people. The European language is useful (french) but not as much as mastering the native language. Most people do not speak any english. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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