Cape Town

After being back in the United States for a while, I have been able to reflect on my time in South Africa. I absolutely do not regret studying abroad; in fact, I am so proud of myself for doing so. I realize more and more every day that studying abroad while in college is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Studying abroad in Cape Town was necessary. It allowed for me to grow and mature in certain areas of my life in such a short period of time. It was also amazing to get a break from home. With everything going on in the United States, from immoral laws being implemented nationally to violence rates in my home town increasing daily, I will say that I was able to be at peace while abroad. However, this does not mean I was not homesick. I missed my family and friends SO MUCH. I also missed quite a few important events. I missed my brother’s graduation. I also missed my close friend’s graduation. I missed my first Mother’s Day, which left me feeling some type of way. Me missing these events always made me question whether studying abroad was worth it. Yet, as stated earlier…I do not regret studying abroad. It was hard missing these events, but what made me feel better was the fact that my loved ones knew that I was rooting for them, all the way from Africa!

One of my favorite parts of studying abroad was volunteering. I wrote about this in an earlier blog post, but I had to volunteer at a nonprofit for a class that I was enrolled in (Community Development in Context, offered by IES Abroad). I ended up volunteering at a homeless shelter called the Night Haven. I was able to meet some of the clients who stayed there, some of the staff who put their all into their roles, and I was even able to understand how to run a nonprofit from an administrative point of view. Volunteering at the Haven helped me become more grateful for where I am in life. Things might not be perfect (and they never will be); yet I am thankful for simple things such as having a roof over my head and even being able to afford food. Some people are unable to say that, and I met those people while volunteering.

Another favorite part of mine when it came to studying abroad was meeting new people. While Chicago is a large city quantitatively, after living there all my life, it becomes smaller and smaller every year. Everyone in Chicago knows everyone, whether directly or indirectly. That being said…it felt great to be the new girl. It felt great to be the one introduced to others.

Lastly, I overall enjoyed being able to participate in a new culture. Although Cape Town reminded me of the States, I was still able to meet people from across the globe, try new cuisines, learn new dances, and even learn a bit of new lingo.

For those thinking about studying abroad—don’t think about it, just DO it! I promise, it’ll change your life!

Finals at the University of Cape Town (UCT) are not too different than finals in the United States, format-wise. For one of my classes, the final was in a computer lab and proctored. For two of my other classes, the final was written and in-person. Another class, the one offered by IES Abroad, did not have a final. Instead, there was a symposium in which we all had to participate (I’ll talk more about this in detail later on in this post). All in all, the format of finals for me were not an issue.

On the other hand, I would have to say the main difference between finals in the United States versus finals in Cape Town is that we have such a huge gap between the last day of classes and when our finals actually start. In my case, we technically finished classes May 15th, yet my first final was May 24th. At my home University, I am used to taking finals the Monday after classes finish, being done that same week, and going home that weekend. However, for me, finals lasted two weeks. I am not a huge fan of this, mainly because I get anxious, and regardless of where I am at for school, I am ready for the school year to end ASAP.

Another big difference is how much finals are weighted. In one of my classes, Business Law 1, my final was 75% of my grade (yes, this percentage intimidated the heck out of me). In another class, Crime and Deviance in South African Cities, my final was 60% of my grade. I am used to my final being worth 30% of my grade, which is not a huge part of your grade if you think about. Yet in Cape Town, it was the total opposite, with finals being the majority (basically all) of your grade. Nevertheless, the important thing is that I got through finals, which is always stressful for me—and I did!

As I stated earlier, for one of my classes, Community Development in Context, we did not have a traditional final. Instead, we had to write a 7,500-word paper on a topic related to our volunteer site, as well as create a presentation based off of our research paper. This was in preparation for a symposium that was held May 17th. The symposium consisted of all students enrolled in Community Development in Context as well as Community Health in Context.

I wrote about the intersectionality between gangsterism and community development (i.e.—how does community development hinder, fuel, and, overall, impact gang activity). I enjoyed writing the paper and doing the presentation, as I come from an urban area where gangsterism is essentially an epidemic. Other topics covered at the symposium includes how language can be a barrier for someone who is receiving an education, HIV and the LGTBQ+ communities, and life in a township (a very low-income neighborhood).

Finals at UCT was a bit rough. However, with UCT being the #1 school in Africa, I have no reason to be surprised!