IHRE: Finding my Independence Past Review
By Meleah R (Peace And Justice Studies, Wellesley College) for
University of Witwatersrand: Johannesburg - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I loved being in Joburg. I had an amazing experience, but it was not my specific program that catered my experience for me. I had to figure it out on my own and I had to work through a lot of frustration in order to appreciate my experience.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of the Witwatersrand |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was manageable and nothing I wasn't used to. The grading system was a little hard to figure out and most of my lecturers were disappointing. They either didn't have experience teaching the specific courses or teaching at all. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some of the administrators were very disappointing while others were perfectly friendly and willing to talk to me about my concerns. The program was extremely disorganized however. My expectations for activities outside classes were not met. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I felt extremely safe in our dorm. |
| * Food: |
I was responsible for my own food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed all the time I spent travelling over breaks with the friends I made. These trips were not planned by IHRE. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Johannesburg is a really dangerous place but IHRE and Bard give you the tools you need to navigate the city as safely as possible. |
| 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? | R500 approxiamtely |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan on saving for travel. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 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? | Independent students who don't need a lot of hand-holding will benefit the most from this program. |
