In Cape Town, one thing I’ve learned now that I’m halfway through is that you can truly experience so much in one day! When I get up to go to class, the first thing I see is the mountain that UCT’s campus is built on the side of. It can be an intimidating sight to see my lecture hall as a speck of a building high above some mornings, but truly, I have not gotten sick of the beautiful natural views that are everywhere in the city.
Plus, it helps that my classes at UCT are incredibly interesting. As a history major, I signed up for courses in African history while here in Cape Town to expand my knowledge of a region that to admit I don’t know a lot on. In these classes, I have at least one other American student from my program with me, which is nice as I always have a familiar face. However, I’ve found other international and South African students to always be quite friendly to speak to as well! The professors themselves can be quite engaging too, turning lectures into insightful conversations on current events and offering music recommendations based on the region we’re discussing that day. In between lectures and tutorials, it is also quite popular to go to one of the many different food spots on campus. My favorite is a place in the food court where you can get a good samosa for less than a dollar!
Through my program, I am also taking part in an internship that’s in the more downtown section of the city, with UCT more in the suburbs. One of my favorite parts about my internship is getting to speak to different people from Cape Town beyond my fellow students, answering and asking questions to each other about our different communities. The workstyle can be very different from the more fast-paced work environments I am used to, as well as more collaborative, yet from what I’ve heard, this is the Capetonian way! My other favorite part of going downtown is the chance to explore different café’s and restaurants at the end of the week with my other intern. So far, we’ve tried Cape Malay, Tanzanian, and Ethiopian food!
At the end of the day, we’ll either take to shuttle or Uber back to our dorm and it goes one of two ways. Sometimes I come back ready for a restful night in to prep for a program excursion or hike the next morning, or we may end up back out exploring the city such as through going to a jazz performance. Overall, even if it can feel like a lot at times, Cape Town has been a truly wonderful study abroad experience so far with so much more to do now that I’m approaching South African summer!
Caroline McKeon
Fall 2025 – CIEE - Arts & Sciences in Cape Town
Fall 2024 – GW Global Bachelor's Program - Belfast Semester
Columbian College of Arts and Science
History Major
The Global Bachelor’s Program