iXperience Cape Town – Career Bootcamp + Internship Summer Abroad

Spending 8 weeks in Cape Town with iXperience was one of the best decisions I made as a college student. As a history major going into my senior year, I had only interned at law firms previously and thought that law school after graduation was my only option. iXperience changed that- after the 4 week consulting course and 4 week internship I had access to a world of prospects for postgrad work! Entering a new field after being committed to another can be daunting, but with the help of the immersive course I felt confident in my internship and was able to really hone my consulting skills and sharpen my business acumen. Of course, Cape Town is also an incredibly beautiful place. When we weren't working hard in the classroom or at our internships, we made the most of what the city had to offer! From shark cage diving to safari adventures, Cape Town and iXperience did not disappoint. I only wish I could do it again!

Ixperience is the perfect study abroad program for someone who lives the "work hard, play hard" lifestyle. When it comes to learning, expect small classrooms filled with vocal students eager to master class material together. However, what you do outside the Classroom while on Ixperience separates the program from any other high intensity professional bootcamp...

About the Instructors and Staff: The instructors and TA's are world-class and teach a fast-paced, yet well-organized curriculum. To illustrate how amazing the staff at Ixperience was, let me describe Erica Du. Erica, one of the 2015 web development TA's, is an MIT bachelors and masters graduate who graduated with a perfect GPA in computer science. Apart from being a genius, Erica is also one of the most outgoing people I have ever met. She was always with us on daytime excursions and was definitely a part of our nightlife experience as well. Erica was not what I was expecting from a TA at a young professional boot camp start-up. She was always there when we needed help with course work, but also took time to assimilate into our session’s culture. Every member of the Ixperience staff is like Erica. These people work extremely hard behind the scenes while simultaneously making time to hang out with the students. This family feel that Ixperience creates is ensures success inside and out of the classroom.

About Everything Else: Ixperience is far more than just a regular professional boot camp. On Ixperience, you have the once in a lifetime ability to explore Cape Town, SA. Before Ixperience, I knew nothing about Cape Town. The city had little to do with my summer decision. After spending two months in Cape Town, I realize it is one of the most underappreciated cities in the world. Cape Town is a tropical paradise filled with so much to do and the Ix staff is always looking for ways to make your unique experience in Cape Town fun and memorable. If you want to go on a safari, sky-diving, bungee-jumping, shark cage diving, surfing, sand-boarding, etc. (yes we did all of these things), the staff will make it happen. Other than exciting excursions, the city has an incredible nightlife, which is comparable to any big city in the United States. There are lots of bars and clubs to choose from, and you can make this a big part of your experience if you want. The food in Cape Town is also incredible. There are so many new and trendy restaurants to choose from it can be overwhelming at times. As a student, you get to experience all of this without a guilty conscious. Why? Most global currencies across the world are strong against the rand (South African currency). So this means that you can eat, explore, drink and live like a king for a very low cost while in South Africa.

If you study abroad at Ixperience, you will come out a more interesting person. You will acquire a valuable skillset, develop a network of great friends and brilliant minds, and be pushed to go beyond your previously perceived boundaries. If you have any more questions about my experience, please feel free to reach out!

One of my favorite, unexpected days was the morning I woke up at 6am and went to a silent disco at the top of this skyscraper. About thirty other people and I danced around like idiots as we watched the sun rise over Cape Town, and it was one of the happiest moments I've had in my entire life. Afterwords I went for breakfast at the number one coffee shop in the world (literally), Truth Coffee, and had a fanastic egg, toast, avocado breakfast - they put "avo" on everything; one of the many reasons why Cape Town is awesome.

That day was just a snapshot of all the outrageous, fun things there were to do on this trip. And the program coordinators helped organize it all. Whether it was surfing or sky diving or going out on the town, they handled everything and made it really easy and enjoyable.

iXperience challenged me academically in completely new ways. I learned an insane amount in the four week course and even changed my major to computer science as a result. I did real work at the internship and made some great friends along the way. The best parts were the weekend excursions. I went great white shark cage diving, wine tasting, hiking, and so much more that I still can't believe I did. The fun wasn't just on the weekends either - we watched the sunset by the beach, biked around the city under full moons, and had an incredibly amazing summer.