Time truly passes quickly! January 17, 2022

By aagg (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/03/2021 to 12/23/2021 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Yaoundé

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

I learned more about my double identity as a Haitian-American and I gained more of understanding of what my family went through while they grew up in Haiti. I gained more of an appreciation of having a family as I felt I have gotten closer with mine and my host family over shared experiences.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	For my overall experience, I truly had an intense academic experience from the Middlebury center. It mostly came from the course that I have stated below. My courses thrived on lots of participation, which was honestly necessary to really gain knowledge in a language you're not fluent in. Also, at the Middlebury Center, the professors would adjust the time, if the students asked for it, of their courses, which was so nice and helpful.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	The food was wonderful to eat, however I kept on getting sick because of food sold outside on the streets. :( In order to not let that happen to you, you must make sure that the food is freshly made before you eat it instead of eating food that needs to be reheated.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	I felt that if I had more time, I definitely would've been more integrated with the local culture. The courses I took at the Middlebury center really discussed cultural aspects seen in Yaoundé, and it always amazed me when I understood and experienced these aspects out in the city and while speaking to Cameroonians.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Healthcare was easily accessible in my case because the program required that we have straight access to a doctor if we're sick. The healthcare system is not easily accessible in general, so I was very lucky that I had easy access. I needed to take the YellowFever vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination just to enter the country.
* Safety:	I was safe for my entire semester. However, because I am a woman, my safety would definitely differentiate from a man's. My host family made sure that I returned back home before 10 PM. If I was out late, I had to have people with me and/or a male had to be present with me so my safety was guaranteed.
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?	~10 000-15 000 francs

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	At the Middlebury center, we were only allowed to speak in French!
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	French 212
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?	Ask questions to your professors! They will definitely help out, especially with grammar. French grammar is very difficult, in my opinion, so the professors will understand. Write, write, write every single day! Listen to music with French lyrics. Watch Netflix with French dub and/or French subtitles.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

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

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
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 academic rigor The semester field trip and outdoor class sessions Taking public transportation everywhere (taxis)
* What could be improved?	Time management Time management Time management
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I wish I knew how much work and energy would be needed to complete the amount of homework I had to do. WOW

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Le monde francophone: le roman et le cinéma camerounais
Course Department:
Instructor:	Dr. Ariane Ngabeu
Instruction Language:	French
Comments:	For me, the course was challenging and loaded with a lot of work. However, it was worth it. Within a few weeks of taking the course, my French writing and speaking skills have improved drastically. For most of our sessions, we had to write a one-paged paper on the material we read. Additionally, we had to submit a one-paged journal weekly, which was a way for our professor to see how we are dealing with Cameroonian culture. After each subject was completed, we had an exposé - oral presentation - furthering our public speaking skills in French. Participation was extremely important in the course as we would discuss aspects, such as Cameroonian culture in the past and today, from the texts and films. In terms of major assessments, there were three exposés, a midterm, a portfolio- a end-of-semester project on our experience in Cameroon- and a final paper.
Credit Transfer Issues:	My credit has not been transfered yet, but I do not think there will be any issues.