Past Review

By (Political Economy., Tulane University) for

CIEE: Legon - Arts + Sciences

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved going to Ghana, it was the right choice for me but may not be for everyone. Going to Ghana made me learn to slow down and even though it was crazy and frustrating at times, it taught me more about myself than I ever expected.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place: Fall 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Academics were very easy. Classes were huge and there was only one test at the end of the semester. This was fine though because I did not go to Ghana for the academic experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The CIEE staff was fairly helpful but in many situations things were out of their hands and they did the best they could to think on their feet.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I enjoyed my housing facilities but wish that I had an international room mate instead of a student from my program. Besides that they were very comfortable and ISH2 was a great location on campus.

* Food:

Personally I just did not enjoy the food. It was very spicy and hot which I dont enjoy. My favorite part about the food was the fresh fruit that was sold across the street from my dorm. I would have starved without it.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We had many planned trips, group dinners, and check in points which were immeasurably helpful in navigating the different culture. The over night trip to Cape Coast was my favorite.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Everyone gets sick in Ghana but the program on site staff were prepared to deal with type of issue.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Approximately 50 dollars. Everything is very cheap. You can definitely spend less than that.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Spend as much as you want. I regret not making some purchases because I was worried about spending too much money. In reality though there is no way to spend as much money in Ghana as in Europe. Don't be afraid to spend money on more expensive food, its worth it. Its easy to save money on transportation costs by taking TroTros instead of cabs. Trotros are generally reliable and safe in big cities.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
Language acquisition improvement?

I probably won't have to speak Twi again, but learned enough to have conversations with Ghanians and show them I was trying to be a part of their culture.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Be prepared to be confused most of the time and also be prepared for nothing to be on time and for most things to go wrong.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Political Economy of Colonialism

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very hard to understand instructor. Final was very easy
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Music of West Africa

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Class was hard for foreigners to follow because we did not have inherent background of Africa music.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Twi

Course Department:
Instructor: Nana
Instruction Language: Twi/English
Comments: Very useful class, helped us being to relate to the local and people around the university.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Sociological Foundations of Development

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Repetitive, didn't learn much.
Credit Transfer Issues: