Cultural and Linguistic Whirlwind Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/05/2018 to 06/07/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Yaoundé

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned about Cameroon the folks who live there and their culture and I think that was the most valuable. Simply spending time with my host family or with other students exploring corners of the city was probably the most valuable for me. Anything that involved interacting with other people challenged me to use my language skills and communication skills in ways that helped me grow as a French-speaker and as a person.

Review Photos

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Yaoundé Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The Director of the program is very available to support and help out the students participating in the Cameroon program. She was ready to ameliorate any concern of the students and provide alternatives if the current circumstances (whatever they were: housing, food, classes, internship, etc.) weren't quite working out.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I loved living with a host family. It was an integral part of my experience in Cameroon. It's because of my host family that I feel a true connection to the country and to Yaounde and feel the strong drive to go back.
* Food:	AMAZING! I highly recommend trying everything that is put in front of you. Not very vegetarian friendly (though that can depend on your host family environment).
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Same level of safety as NYC in my opinion. Just have street smarts.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes I loved learning French outside of Europe in a new culture that I had to fully steep myself in to enjoy.

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?	very little. Maybe $20 max.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Make sure you have coins because those are an extremely valuable commodity.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Advanced
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Fluent
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	300 level
How many hours per day did you use the language?	10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants?	Just talk! Don't be shy to make your voice heard or ask that question, even if it comes out a little wonky, the people around you will correct you, or at least understand you and know that you're trying to communicate. Everyone is extremely encouraging when they see that you're making an effort.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university?	Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Host Family
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	the people the location/culture/ food the French component
* What could be improved?	organizational structure classes available at Middlebury center
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew that signing up for and participating in UCAC courses is a pretty disjointed process. And I wish that I had been a little easier on myself, workwise, while I was there.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Histoire du Cameroun
Course Department:	Middlebury School Abroad
Instructor:	Prof. Eric FOFACK
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	Mostly papers
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	La Monde Francophone
Course Department:	Middlebury Cameroon School Abroad
Instructor:	Ariane Ngabeu
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	L'introduction a l'anthropologie de la sante
Course Department:	UCAC Course in Social Sciences
Instructor:	Prof. Estelle Kouokam
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	It was a very challenging course as there was an unexpected field research component. However, it was really engaging and the material felt very relevant to my interests and chosen field of study. The teacher engaged the class and had us do more than simply recall theories of other social scientists.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Nope!

Course Name/Rating:	Culture des Peuples d'Afrique Centrale
Course Department:	UCAC Social Sciences track
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Geopolitiques et Mondialisation
Course Department:	UCAC Political Sciences track
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	We mostly talked about Trump and the United States' participation in geopolitics worldwide. The course was primarily conversational except for the first day when we had a talk about definitions in geopolitics.
Credit Transfer Issues: