Botswana couldn't have been better. Past Review
By Jennifer S (Mechanical Engineering., University of Rochester) for
CIEE: Gaborone - Arts and Sciences
Absolutely. The academics weren't the most demanding but I wasn't there for the academics. I tell everyone that I was there because I wanted to experience the culture and I was taking classes becuase I wanted to graduate on time. Culturally, I couldn't have experienced anything better. I wanted to be in an African country that was truely african. I was one of the only white people in the country and was able to really separate myself from my american upbringing. I would recommend this trip to anyone who's willing to take a step out of their comfort zone.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was incredibly easy. Grading was harsh. The teachers didn't care much about their students. Other students were only interested in passing a course and getting their diploma. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Expectations were far exceeded. My program director, Batsi was wonderful. We had a group size around 12 students and he helped us get accustomed to the country as well as help us with academic questions and far beyond. My experience couldn't have been the same if he hadn't been there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My family was the best part of my semester! They were wonderful and really made me feel at home. I felt comfortable living there and miss them dearly. |
| * Food: |
Food in Botswana is good but very repetitive. There are many restaurants to go to which aren't very expensive and have a wide variety of meals to choose from. However, on campus, and in the homes the food is bland and repetitive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food was cheap but everything else was close to the same as spending in the US. There were tremendous opportunities to travel! I had no idea I would be able to leave Botswana and I ended up visiting 5 other countries while I was there. Planes were expensive but busses were cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Never taken |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I had to take two Setswana courses while in Botswana. One was through the university which was poorly organized and didn't further my knowledge of the language. The other course was through CIEE which was wonderful but unfortunately only met once a week so it didn't have enough push to help me learn the language either. Also, everyone in the country spoke english so there was no push to learn the national language. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you want to experience Africa, this is a great country to spend your time. The people are wonderful, crime is minimal and there are so many opportunities available! |
