Humanities courses involved lots of papers. I would say academic commitment is similar to that required at CU. Write in the British English standard!!! Cape Town is a wonderful, amazing place that I've never heard anyone say they didn't like. Locals and culture in general especially at the university was VERY friendly. Volunteer as much as possible! You will be given countless opportunities which are priceless. Take advantage of everything, do everything.

I loved my time in Cape Town. I found the classes to be very interesting and highly encourage trying to take South Africa oriented classes. They weren't too difficult but also were not particularly easy either. The location could not be better, as a city Cape Town has everything from the mountains to the sea. Add in an incredible blend of culture and general open-mindedness/friendliness which makes Cape Town perfect for experiencing non-western culture while still having some recognizable and comforting societal elements. Most locals are nice, polite and willing to talk about what we would consider controversial topics such as race. English is the language used to bridge all of the cultural gaps which allows exchange students to interact on a pretty deep level with almost anyone. I volunteered in a township tutoring 4th graders math and English. It was very worthwhile and rewarding and highly recommend it. Also, take as many road trips/ travel as much as possible. You already went halfway around the world, might as well look around a bit.

Courses at UCT are not very difficult, but you must keep up with the course work. It is a lot of independent study and everything is essay based even for math subjects. Starting assignments early is key to getting a good grade because books gets checked out fast from the library and using online sources is very difficult. I stayed in an apartment building very close to UCT and I really liked it. Don't be disappointed that you aren't in one of the houses because it is in a great location. You are around all the grocery stores and restaurants which is very convenient. The houses are really nice also, but I wouldn't have changed my living situation. I found the best way to interact with locals was joining the clubs. I joined the athletics club, which was a lot of fun and the yacht club. I met a lot of people there besides in my classes. People on campus will notice you are American, but don't let that stop you from taking to them, everyone is very nice and wants to get to know you. I did SHAWCO for volunteering and it was really interesting to be able to teach english to kids after class. Do not miss out on volunteering or get to busy not to do it, it is something you will be very fortunate to do.

The courses were difficult but I learned a TON from them and really enjoyed the classes! Cape Town is absolutely the most amazing city on earth and I loved every second that I was there. It is in such an interesting country and definitely a great place to go to see a new perspective on the world. Locals were very friendly and always willing to help. I will say that we when travelled in a group is was apparent we were all Americans and they were not a receptive to that. Besides school, Cape Town was great for volunteering. I did not do an internship or anything like that, but we did travel a lot around South Africa and I volunteered with a great organization called The Ark. Overall, it was an amazing experience and it completely changed my life.

The course work was not too hard or overwhelming, but it should be taken seriously. The location of my apartment was perfect, close to campus and a lot of good restaurants and stores. Even though I lived with mostly Americans, it was important and beneficial to interact with the locals, and that is something you have to initiate on your own. It was totally worth the money to go on excursions. Some of my favorite moments from the semester came from volunteering. It was an amazing way to immerse into the community.

Courses are not a cake walk but you learn a lot!
Cape Town is a world in a city. You have a beach, city, mountains and great weather all in one place!
As long as you get involved on campus/ volunteer, you will make local friends
The trips are so diverse and incredible- everything from new countries to shark cage diving! Volunteering was my favorite thing I did abroad, you really can connect to the community.

Studying abroad in Cape Town was the time of my life. While if you choose to go you will definitely have a great time, there are things you should be aware of:

Courses:
Class at University of Cape Town is not the easiest, however, it is very fulfilling. It is important to find the balance between getting your work done but then also obviously not spending your study abroad experience in the library. Overall though, students at UCT are very passionate about their studies and current events, you will be able to engage about social issues that are incredibly important and real.

Location:
Cape Town is incredible. It won't be the kind of experience where you are travelling to different parts of Europe every week. You will get to know Cape Town really well and have enough time too make the city and the people feel like home, not just some place you are seeing for a couple of days. The city and the surrounding area are incredible and full of culture and complex history.

Community Engagement:
There are many opportunities to get involved with the community and try and give back. Getting involved in these are a MUST. I working in a maximum security prison while there and my experience would have been significantly less without that opportunity. It gives you the chance to get to know a the culture in an authentic way and make your experience one of contribution, not observation.

Courses were very heavy with readings, but everything is pass/fail and very manageable. Location is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Locals are nice, most easily met through joining clubs/societies. Volunteered with a township tutoring service, highly recommend.

Can't beat the location. Cape Town is honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been, period. That being said, I also felt like I had ample time to explore the city and travel around, because classes were not as classroom intensive as they are at Boulder, meaning I had more free time than usual. Some of my courses were difficult, but not more difficult than in Boulder, and I felt as though my overall class load was much lighter than at CU (I'm an engineer). With regards to my living situation, I lived with Americans in an apartment building, so I didn't interact with locals as much as I initially expected, but I'm still very satisfied with how my living situation played out because I now have super close friends from all over America, and they will be much easier to visit than anyone in Cape Town.

South Africa is a country with an extensive history of segregation and manipulation, and while Apartheid fell decades ago, I could tangibly see the lasting effects of Apartheid while living in Cape Town. My study abroad program was much more diverse that CU Boulder and I feel that, as a result of that, I was faced with situations where I was challenged to recognize my privilege, even as an American, and compare it to the difficult situations that many are faced with in South Africa.