Name: Alex Bobeczko
Class Year: 2021
Hometown: Arlington, Virginia
Global Study Semester: Fall 2019
Program: IES University of Cape Town, South Africa
Major/Minor: Environmental Studies major, Anthropology minor
Activities on Campus: Sigma Chi Fraternity, Club Soccer President, Campus Kitchen Volunteer
My Story from Global Study:
One of the best parts of my semester in South Africa was wide variety of excursion trips run by the IES program. One excursion in particular was the Cape Peninsula Tour, which occurred during the first month of my semester, and was a great introduction to the country. The tour started early in the morning, with an hour-long bus ride from Cape Town to the suburb of Hout Bay, where we boarded a boat to Seal Island, a large rock in the middle of the bay that is home to a colony of Cape Fur Seals. From there we journeyed to Simon’s Town, another suburb of Cape Town which is famous for its picturesque beaches, inhabited by African Penguins. Being a photography lover, having the chance to see and shoot images of penguins on a beach was a dream come true for me, and one of the reasons why I chose Cape Town as my study abroad destination. The day ended with a visit to Cape Point, the southeastern-most point on the continent, and a sunset hike to the lighthouse which protects the harbor. This day stands out as one of the best days during my semester abroad.
My Advice for Future Students:
My advice for future students would be don’t feel obligated to do lots of travel outside of your host city or country. While I had friends in various programs that did lots of extra travel, I opted to stay in South Africa for the entirety of semester abroad. I feel like I really benefited from this. Many students that study abroad often feel the desire to see as much of the world as possible during their 5 months away from Gettysburg, and there are many positive aspects of this strategy, sometimes these students fail to fully appreciate all that their host city or country has to offer. The deep cultural immersion I received by spending so much time in South Africa created a bond stronger than if I’d done extraneous travel, and left me with an immense desire to return in the near future.