South Africa, special price just for you sista! Past Review

By (Elementary Education, St. Cloud State University) for

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU): Port Elizabeth - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The experience impacted my cultural awareness greatly. I loved living in community with all kind of people from a lot of different places. You learn a lot about each other. Having close friendships with people of different cultures lets you see a lot more than what you could ever "learn" about them on your own. I have been able to form closer relationships with people of African cultures and others at SCSU as well because of it.

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.

I found the work load to be easier. My classes didn't give out much daily work. Your grade was based pretty much entirely off of exams. The grading system was hard to get used to at first, because they don't hardly ever give out anything above 90. I would get a 75 on a paper, and the teacher would write "Great Job" on it, when I thought the grade was bad. Teaching methods were pretty similar. Lectures mostly. And one of the best things about most classes is they would have a duplicate lecture on a different day or time so you could choose which one you would go to.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration for study abroad students was understaffed. Mona, Divinia, Nerissa, and few others were there all the time and there were often way too many students in their room at once. They were very helpful though, and would go out of their way to help us figure stuff out. They were just overloaded.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Annie's Cove, which was a gated community with flats. The neighborhood was good, I felt safe most of the time. It was a 20 minute walk to campus, and it was a cheap taxi ride into town for nightlife. They provided all our bedding and cookware, even though the cookware was crap and we bought a few things ourselves. Marius was a decent landlord. I loved living in Annie's Cove.

* Food:

There is an Ethiopian restaurant in town. It's out of someone's home so it's hard to find. Directions: Drive towards the top of the hill on Russell Rd. and take a left right after you see Adult World (with the red neon sign) on your left. The house is about 2 blocks down on your left. Next to a little convenience store. Don't be afraid to ask around to find it. It's worth it. And SO cheap. Another great place for coffee and bakery stuff is Vovo Telo. It's on Richmond Hill. Future students need to check this place out!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Frontier Farms is great. The time we had to travel over Easter break was awesome. The international party when the short term SCSU students were there was fun as well.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Travel in pairs no matter what. Walking to Spar from Annie's by yourself is ok, but not after dark. It's not a scary area, it's just common sense. There were definitely people who were mugged while we were there. A group of girls were in the wrong part of town at night and were mugged. Just stick to your groups and be aware of suspicious people and your surroundings. I didn't have any health issues while I was there so I didn't use their health care.

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? I don't know how much I spent a week... I did spend more money on food than I thought I would though. I would guesstimate that we made trips to Spar every 1-2 weeks, and spent about 400 rand each time. That's 50 some dollars every week and a half. Factor in eating out too and it's more. Transportation added up to be a lot as well with cab rides.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Food on campus is not free. A lot of us thought the school would provide some sort of a meal plan and were unprepared. You have to buy your own food on campus. There's a really good cafe with a menu, a Cassie's (like McDonalds), and an express convenience store for snacks. Pack your own lunch from home if you wanna save. :)

Language

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? They were all general courses. I was part of the FYE program.
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

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  • International Students
  • Local Students
  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Do this program. You will make friends from all over the world and have opportunities to see and do so many different and amazing things. The people are great, the night life is awesome, the school might frustrate you but you'll be fine, the campus is beautiful, the weather is beautiful (I went spring sem) and you're right on the beach. Take trips, do the crazy stuff (bungee jumping), and live amongst a whole bunch of different cultures and people. Take it all in.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Afrikaans 101

Course Department:
Instructor: Mrs. Otto
Instruction Language: English and Afrikaans
Comments: Very unhelpful. The class wasn't very prepared and the professor seemed scattered in her teachings. We didn't really learn that much. It was good to learn something about a traditional language but this class in particular really didn't help me to speak but a few phrases. I would suggest Xhosa over this one.
Credit Transfer Issues: Nope