IES Abroad Cape Town – University of Cape Town

This program, city, and everything about it are incredible, and definitely worth your while. Together, they created a memorable study abroad experience that I will never forget! Even though I was only participate in the first six weeks of my program due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I wouldn't take back my decision to go for anything. Why? 1. The people! Everybody in Cape Town, especially the IES Centre staff, are supportive, welcoming, and lovely human beings who not only want you to acclimate comfortably and succeed, but more so to have the best experience possible -- and work to make sure you do! 2. The place! South Africa as a whole and Cape Town specifically is an incredible place to spend a semester abroad. Not only is there a rich and exciting culture to explore, the beautiful landscape of the location is a jungle gym for explorers, adventurers, and city walkers alike. Even the campus itself is beautiful-- you'll gaze in astonishment every day you're there! 3. The opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone: Cape Town is a ways away, and may seem like a culture much unlike our own. But, it is nothing to be afraid of! This program will challenge you for the better and expand your horizons to experience something new and unlike what you have before. I highly recommend this program!

There will always be something I can say about my study abroad experience! My favorite part was the service-learning component. I volunteered with three organizations. The organizations were SoZo Fou ndation, SHAWCO Education, and WordWorks. Additionally, the most beneficial class I took abroad was Community Development in Context. (South Africa)

I studied in Cape Town, South Africa for six months with IES. The program was supportive in terms of responding to students' needs, arranging an orientation with lots of culturally immersive activities, and educating us about local culture. I would say there was less support once the semester got underway. We had lots of freedom but also had the security of knowing there was a fully staffed office just down the road from our accommodation to answer any questions we had. The field trips throughout the semester were well-planned and lots of fun. I only took courses at the University of Cape Town, but the program also offered classes at the IES Center. I was fairly disappointed with the quality of the academics at the University. The different grading system, lack of clear grading criteria, and general unorganized nature of the classes was frustrating at times. However, learning more about the culture through the classes was a huge part of my experience. The classes changed my perspective on different ideologies I held which I now realize were the result of only taking classes from a western perspective before attending UCT. Obviously, IES has no control over the academics at the University, but they did act as a liason if any issues arose between students and professors/admin. The academics were challenging and classes required a lot of dedication to receive high marks. The local culture was easy to adapt to because everyone spoke English and people were generally very friendly and willing to talk to you. There were lots of clubs to get involved in at the University and endless activities in the area to participate in. Honestly, the people who had the best experiences tended to be open to the opportunities available. I rarely said no to doing anything while I was there and ended up having an incredible semester. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a study abroad experience with opportunities beyond what a typical European program would offer, since Cape Town not only had an amazing nightlife but also hiking, service learning opportunities, and the chance to be immersed in a non-westernized culture.

The city, school, and program completely exceeded my expectations and I could not have asked for a better semester. If I hadn’t been a senior, I would’ve extended my time in Cape Town for a second semester. The IES Cape Town staff went above and beyond for their students. They planned several fun activities and field trips throughout the entire semester so we were really able to experience everything. The RAs were also extremely helpful and involved. They showed us around the school, helped us set up our phones, schedule doctors appointments, etc. Cape Town is the perfect city for study abroad because there are so many different things to do and see.

This was absolutely on of the best experiences of my life. I cannot even begin to figure out the best way to summarize my experience. IES was incredibly helpful with every aspect of travel. They gave us an orientation once we arrived, they helped with registering for classes, they provided housing, they even arranged our mid semester break trip to Kruger National Park. Our housing was really nice and very close to campus. The RA's were smart, friendly, and helpful. Cape Town itself offers so many diverse activities that my only con would be that it is difficult to get it all done!! I loved South Africa, I loved IES, and I cannot recommend this program enough.

The title of my review sums up my experience. I've been stuck in Pennsylvania for all my life, so I decided to make a tough decision to leave home and go somewhere for 4 months. Deciding on Cape Town through IES was undoubtedly the best decision I have ever made. The people I met there were incredible, the culture is so expansive and interesting, and IES does a phenomenal job of making all of us feel at home. I reminisce and miss Cape Town often- I have made lifelong friends there and its somewhere I hope to return to.

I had the most amazing time in Cape Town. I honestly cannot think of one thing I would change. IES did an amazing job of planning activities for us while also giving us enough free time to explore on our own. The academics in Cape Town are pretty different from in the states, but the program did a really good job of helping us prepare for that. We lived in an awesome location, right at the bottom of campus. Because it was a small program this year, we all lived on the same property which allowed all the IES students to get really close. Our RAs were amazing too. I am obsessed with Cape Town, as it had everything I wanted in an abroad experience. I was the only person from my home university going, which allowed me to really branch out. It's a large city, but I was still able to do a lot of things outdoors. I spent a lot of time hiking, which is one of my favorite activities. The people in Cape Town are amazing, and I met so many amazing South Africans that I am still in contact with. While there are challenging aspects of going abroad anywhere, I think the challenges I faced in Cape Town (like being faced with the realization of how much privilege I have) really stretched me in positive ways. Going to Cape Town was the best decision I have ever made.

To say that my experience in Cape Town was life changing would be an understatement. My time in South Africa will be forever imprinted in my memory. There is not a single moment that I did not love, waking up in the morning and seeing Table Mountain, looking out at the view from the University of Cape Town, seeing the amazing IES staff almost every day, exploring this beautiful city, and meeting the amazing people in South Africa. One of the greatest things that occurred was the building of a family. IES ensures that you have a support system while you are abroad. They keep you in the loop with what is going on, they make sure you are safe and healthy, and they always welcome you into the office. The other students in the program became some of my best friends and we have already planned reunions. Cape Town was not just a place I visited or studied. It is a place that changed my life and became a home... and I cannot wait to go back home again soon.

I would like to commend the IES Cape Town Center Staff for all the support, love, and knowledge they provided us throughout our stay in Cape Town. The staff truly were our "abroad parents" and the center our "home away from home" for four months. Especially with the student protests that occurred at UCT during our stay, it was so nice to have the IES Staff for support and to answer the hundreds of questions we had. :) They really stressed how available they were to help and did everything they could to ensure our stay went smoothly.

I had the pleasure of studying abroad with IES Cape Town at University of Cape Town. I honestly cannot express enough about how life changing and incredible this experience was. Being able to study abroad in a developing country with quite a flawed democracy urges one to think about issues that we normally don’t think about, or are considered to be “taboo.” The IES center, particularly in the IES Polity Development Class, conversations were facilitated about issues regarding development, racism, xenophobia, and poverty. Being back in the United States, I feel that I can see this issues in a whole new light, and I feel that my perspective on our society as a whole as broadened and changed. During my stay in Cape Town, student protests calling for free education were occurring at all of the universities in South Africa. These protests caused us not to have class for many weeks. What could have been an extremely stressful situation was turned more into an opportunity for exploration to get to know the country better, through free field trips planned by the IES Cape Town office. I cannot express how helpful the IES staff were during this difficult and unprecedented time, and because of them, I was able to take all of my finals on time in Cape Town and finish off the semester. Overall, I cannot express how important my time abroad in Cape Town has been for my personal growth and development, and much of that was due to the ongoing support giving by the IES staff.

Coming from a very conservative city in the southern United States my experience at the University of Cape Town was an extremely, positively impactful one. The perspective gained was one I could have only gained there. Cape Town is vibrant - a mixing pot of so many beautiful cultures accented with immaculate nature, unlike anywhere else, that sits conveniently in the center of the city and all around. The university is breathtaking as well and offers subjects of all sorts. The professors and students there made my academic experience an unforgettable one, although my semester in Cape Town fed me knowledge far beyond what any classroom ever could.

Getting the chance to spend 5 months living in Cape Town was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. Everything from the breathtaking views from Table Mountain to the dynamic and passionate student body at the University of Cape Town to the abundant opportunities for adventure attributed to a truly life-changing study abroad experience. The programs and staff at IES helped us integrate into a place that was so different from what many of us were used to and helped us find a home in South Africa.

Making the decision to travel to Cape Town for a semester was quite daunting at first; from the moment I arrived, however, IES Abroad made such a foreign city feel like home. The staff was unbelievably friendly, welcoming, and helpful; our housing assignments were beautiful and safe, and the immersion into the University of Cape Town was as smooth as possible. IES gave us a plethora of opportunities to become further acclimated to our new surroundings by coordinating group trips and seminars. By the end of my stay, Cape Town was absolutely my second home, and I can attribute most of that comfort to the helpfulness of my program!

Going abroad with IES was potentially one of the best decisions I’ve made—other than the decision to study abroad, of course. The application process was easy and intuitive, and if I ever had a question the IES staff were friendly and responsive. Once I got to Cape Town, the onsite office staff proved themselves to be a professional, kind, and helpful group of people. They helped us out with so much of the administrative stuff that would have otherwise been really difficult to figure out on my own. They also organized so many activities for us to bond as a group while learning about South African culture, like going to a rugby match, a field trip to Kruger National park, and a bicycle tour through one of South Africa's largest townships. IES Abroad made my time in South Africa even more amazing than I could have imagined before leaving, and I'm so grateful to them for helping me make my study abroad experience so fantastic.

The IES staff in Cape Town have created an absolutely fantastic program. The activities and trips they organized - an overnight stay in a local township, a day trip to Robben Island and an outing to a local rugby match, just to name a few! - deepened my understanding of South Africa's history and current struggles, and gave me a chance to immerse myself further into their culture. On top of that the staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to help with any problems I had, big or small. They helped make Cape Town a home away from for me and I couldn't have asked for a better experience!

My IES Abroad experience is difficult to sum up in a paragraph, or in any amount of words for that matter. Cape Town stole my heart in so many ways and I miss it every single day. It is a fantastic study abroad location- the people, the natural beauty, the history, the culture, the opportunities for adventure, etc. will completely envelop you and open your eyes to a whole new perspective. One of the reasons why I was able to have such a positive experience is without a doubt because of the IES staff, who were always there for my peers and I. They provided us with an extensive orientation, planned several fun and informative field trips for us, and were a constant source of support and guidance throughout the semester. They helped make Cape Town home. The students in IES became like a community to me as well, who I shared many of my favorite memories and made lifelong friends with. I will always cherish my semester abroad and I can’t wait to return to South Africa someday.

The IES Cape Town staff was absolutely incredible. They made my transition across the world easy. Cape Town is truly the most magical place I could ever think to live in and having the opportunity to study in such a unique city for a semester is something I'll be forever grateful for. I completely immersed myself in the culture and have a deeper appreciation for South Africa's history.

Studying abroad in Cape Town is something I miss everyday. Throughout my five months there I feel like I got to know the city very well but I had still only just scratched the surface of it. I really enjoyed everything the city offered and I am grateful I was able to see so much of it. I was very pleased that IES offered us two long trips outside of school and made available to us smaller day activities as well. Because of these I was really able to bond with the other people in my program as well as the staff. I never thought I would miss my friends and the staff as much as I do now.

While abroad, I learned to view the world from a non-western perspective. I learned to compare and contrast inequalities you learn in the classroom with inequalities you see every day. I learned to take risks, to live in the moment, and to try things outside of my comfort zone. It was so incredibly worthwhile. I climbed mountains, and spent time at the beach. I saw more beautiful sites than I can count. You will feel out of place at times. That's okay. It's part of growing up and learning new things. Take the time to listen to local students, to learn about the lives and experiences of others, and to not be taken aback by things that are 'different'. This opportunity is once in a lifetime and one that I can't recommend enough!

My semester spent with IES Abroad in Cape Town truly can not be put into words, but I will certainly try. In a completely foreign place, it is very important to have a support system which acts as your biggest ally and helps you find comfort in a place so far away. IES Abroad was excellent at advocating for the abroad students and informing us of everything deemed worthy. They provided life-changing opportunities for cultural immersion as well as trips I'd only dreamt about taking. Adapting to our new academic environment appeared daunting however this was done with ease and IES provided many opportunities to us that made my abroad trip that much more unforgettable. With a fantastic orientation program, we learned everything from our safety to how to budget. I couldn't imagine spending the semester without them!