Highly recommend OTS African Ecology & Conservation!

My experience in OTS African Ecology & Conservation in South Africa was amazing, and I am very glad that I chose to apply. I am grateful for the research experiences in a variety of ecosystems, the amazing people, and adventures around the country.
I appreciated how the academics were mainly focused on field research projects, which was very different from a usual semester for me. It was a great experience to apply some of what I had learned in lecture courses to field research, and I enjoyed learning from the OTS faculty and visiting faculty from around the world. While I was there, I also realized what a once-in-a-lifetime privilege it was to experience the parks in such a hands-on way.
One of my favorite parts of the program was becoming friends with the other students and faculty. Although at first I was worried about meeting a new group of people, it was fun to work with other students from a variety of backgrounds, and we quickly grew close through all of our shared experiences. I especially enjoyed going on game drives and doing activities (such as surfing, snorkeling, and hiking) with them.
I recommend this program to students interested in field research, South Africa, and ecology and conservation, and anyone looking for an experience that is quite different from a standard university setting.