Cape Town Chronicles: Choosing My Study Abroad Program

There has never been a question of whether or not I would study abroad. I was most excited to come to college, just so I could study abroad. When choosing which university I would attend, one of my main criteria was a study abroad program. My main fear was and still is leaving the people I love. Because I go to school an hour away from home, the longest I’ve gone without seeing my family is three weeks. Now it will be four months. I have built the most safe and loving community of friends on campus. Despite this, I refuse to let these fears hold me back. 

Originally, I planned on going to Madrid. I learned Spanish throughout middle and high school, and set a goal to be fluent by the time I was 25. Even though I was excellent at it, I felt I’d learn better through full immersion. Madrid would allow me this opportunity, and I could avoid New England winter. It wasn’t until I had lunch with some classmates that I learned of the Cape Town program with IES abroad. As a daughter to Kenyan immigrant parents, the idea of living in any country in Africa sounded like a dream come true. 

The dorm options looked amazing and Cape Town’s landscapes were untouchable. They told me that the program would be cheaper than Madrid, and my classmates showed me all the fun the people currently there were having. South Africa has 12 official languages and several other languages I can learn besides Spanish. Most importantly, I’d still have the chance to skip New England Winter. In that instant, I decided that I had to apply for this program.

I first applied for the health, culture, and development program, but realized that this program only took classes at the IES Abroad Center in Cape Town. One of my study abroad goals was to meet and interact with people outside of the study abroad bubble. This goal motivated me to switch to the university studies program. In this program, I would take classes at the University of Cape Town (UCT) as an exchange student alongside students from all over the world. UCT offers several undergraduate faculties that IES Abroad students may take courses in.  Faculties are similar to academic departments. Some of these include the Faculty of Commerce, the Faculty of Science, and the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment. I pre-registered for courses in the Faculty of Humanities, so I may get a chance to take courses ranging from Gender Studies to African Dance. 

In the past couple of years, I was introduced to a music genre native to South Africa known as amapiano.  Amapiano is described by google as a mixture of “deep house, gqom, jazz, soul, and lounge music.” Funny enough, my friends call me part South African because of my love for amapiano. Little did we know that I’d actually get the chance to live there. Words cannot describe how excited I am to experience firsthand the culture of dance and music in Cape Town. Additionally, I cannot wait to deepen my knowledge of the history and resilience of South African people. I am grateful that I get to make my younger selves dream a reality, and that I found a program that truly feels perfect for me.