Senegal: On Being Gay, Quietly Past Review
By Emma G (Theatre, Barnard College) for
SIT Study Abroad: Senegal: Global Security and Religious Pluralism
Yep. Totally shaped my perspective on the world, the influence of America in general, what I want to do with my life, all of those things... so cliche but so true in the end.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload and educational calibre don't compare to Columbia University, and they shouldn't--I was overwhelmed enough with figuring out how to live in Senegalese society, and the easier workload and less challenging courses allowed me to maintain my grades while trying to integrate. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Dakar's power problems are prohibitive in terms of work. The program itself was wonderful, as were the participants. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Don't expect your host family to fawn over you. They might, but they may have already hosted several students and end up treating you like a boarder. Be nice, be vocal, ask questions! I became close with some of my siblings/cousins, but had no relationship with my mother. It's really a crap shoot, and you can only be prepared to be kind, be assertive, and be flexible. |
| * Food: |
Being a vegetarian/vegan is pretty impossible. Food isn't healthy. Bring vitamins, and if you move out of your homestay, brave the markets for vegetables! You will crave them. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Village stays are really hard, but so, so important to your understanding of Senegalese society and West African village experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Dakar is safe if you're aware of your being at all times, and if you actively become a part of your neighborhood. They're going to take care of you, so reach out to your neighbors! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Very little. $500 the whole time. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The first month you have to buy a lot of random stuff... |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Conversation II |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced French and Wolof with everyone I could convince to speak with me, every day. They were both absolutely essential. People just don't really speak English. Lots of people don't even speak French. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It's absolutely incredible. If you're an artist, you'll love this program. Senegal is not an easy place to live in, and you can't really prepare for it, except to know that you're resilient, you'll be scared, and then you'll spend four months cultivating bravery, which will serve you very, very well. BE AWARE THIS IS A HOMOPHOBIC COUNTRY. DO YOUR RESEARCH. CONSIDER CAREFULLY. |
