Traveling with Round River: The best decision I have ever made. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

RR Conservation Studies has a strong focus on academics and I most definitely worked hard for all of my credits. Unlike traditional schooling however, the outdoor classroom and experience based education made every part of learning fun and interactive. It was also refreshing to not be dependent on the internet for information. Our extremely well educated teachers, our books, and local knowledge did more than enough to help us learn.

On-site administration of your program

RRCS is a very small group that does big things. This is a huge advantage because you always feel like you know the administration well.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We got to live in tents the whole time which was amazing. 90 days of living in tents made me so in touch with nature and my surroundings. It was something I will likely never be lucky enough to do again, and something I missed when I returned.

This is not a trip of luxury food. This is a program where you are well fed, but once again, you are camping and so there is only so much you can do when it comes to meals. Cooking as a group however was a huge bonding factor, and by the end we were all pros in the kitchen and working over the fire.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Every 10-14 days we switched campsites to visit a new local concession area that was managed by a different village. In each new location we got to work with 2-6 locals and not only learn from them, but also help them learn about what we were there to do. We also got to go into villages and talk about local conservation, which was always a treat. Further, one of my instructors was from Botswana, and another one was from Namibia. The two of them were invaluable and taught us more than we could ever have learned from an American teacher.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

When we came into the program, we were very well prepared to be living in the bush for 3 months. Although we had almost no issues, I would have felt safe under the care of our instructors. Ebola was not an issue in Botswana.

RRCS goes to every extent to keep students safe. You are however, living in the bush in Africa, and this comes with many dangers. I NEVER felt seriously threatened while on this trip, but this is also because every member of our group was very vigilant. There is no downplaying that you are in the wild, and when you life in the wild, you must be aware of the dangers that surrounded you.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Outside of the program cost and plane fares, students almost never spend money on this program.

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• Other

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Overall Experience of Botswana
• What I learned to value while there
• Getting to live outside for 90 days

• Overall organization of route the trip would take.
• Quality of cars (although this resulted in some great stories).

The Avid Adventurer