Juxtapositional Education: Tremendous education by reading between the lines Past Review
By Jacob B (Professional Music, University of Massachusetts Amherst) for
ThisWorldMusic: Traveling - Study in Ghana: Music, Arts, Culture
Yea. Its hard to explain in words, but everything is in a different perspective once you go to Africa. Africa has such a reputation, so it puts things together when you actually go there and interact with the people.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teaching methods at Dagbe were very unique because everything was taught orally. There was no written or recorded music or anything like that. The instructors really encouraged us to achieve our best potential. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program had a great balance of cultural immersion from all sides. We learned about the music and culture directly from the locals, but at the same time, learned a lot based on the juxtaposition of us being "pampered" inside the gates of a rural village. There were a lot of wierd contrasts that made the education very broad (in a good way). We were told some stuff directly, and other stuff we had to figure out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were no top sheets on the bed (I was told to bring one, I just forgot), and the pillows were horrendous. Givin the circumstance however (our location), it was really quite luxurious compared to the locals around us. Everyone was extremely hospitable for the most part. |
| * Food: |
Very delicious. It was very healthy and filling. I stayed full for long periods of time without having to eat too much. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The whole trip. I went out at night with some of the locals and got a way better perspective of the people by doing that, rather than being in classes. I learned sooooo much on this trip. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
As long as some one is not naive about the surroundings, they should be okay. People must be cautious, but also take some weighed risks. |
| 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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Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Socialize with your trip members, but more importantly, with the locals. Not enough people did that on my trip, and therefore had a worse time. If you want to learn, learn from the locals. |
