NYU Accra Review

I was very nervous about going to Accra. Since it is such a different culture than in NYC, I was apprehensive about how I was going to fit in. I didn't really know anyone when I went there and was in a foreign country. Yikes! It turns out, though, that everyone was feeling the same way. Almost no one knew each other from before so it was ok. I met my roommate during orientation but that's it. Our house ended up having dinners together every single night and we would sit there for about 2 hours just talking about our lives and opinions. Sometimes, it got very heated because we had some girls who had such differing opinions. This was great, though, to see the differences that we had in the house of 7 girls. We all got super close and ended up sharing so much about ourselves to each other. This house was a great bonding experience for us because we were all forced into this house with people we never met and we had to all hang out together. We were always in the living room because it had the best wifi so it was hard to get work done but it all got done somehow. I still talk to and hang out with the friends that I met there and I'm so happy of the placement of our house.
Besides the housing situation, I loved the people that I met in Ghana. They are always so friendly and open and willing to talk to you. I was taking Twi at UG-Legon. Ghana is so different than other countries because the locals really love when you try to speak to them in Twi. They get so excited and happy, where it has been my experience in other countries-especially Europe-where they don't like people who can't speak their language fluently. The Ghanaians that I met were so willing to show us around and lead us to great local eateries and establishments that we would have never found otherwise. One thing to note is that the girls won't really speak to us but mainly the men; they are more open and friendly. The girls are less friendly because they are more intimidated by us.
I also traveled outside of Ghana and went to a small island called Sao Tome for spring break. This was a great experience for me and my 2 friends. Since they mainly speak Portuguese and French, we were getting along okay. My friend and I speak French a little and my other friend speaks Spanish and was able to translate mostly in Portuguese. This island was so beautiful and we were able to explore it with the guidance of a local man who worked at the hotel. He was very friendly and open to showing us all around.
Overall, the experience was amazing and I encountered so many new people and situations that I never would have before. I am so glad that I was able to go on this experience and would definitely recommend it for anyone who is hesitant about it.