IE Events and News
Open Advising Hours
Tuesdays - 2:00-4:00 pm
Thursdays - 10:00-12:00 pm
no appt necessary
International Education
Glendening Hall, Suite 230
240 895-4202
ie@smcm.edu
Semester in SHANGHAI
Students study intensive Chinese at Fudan University, a leading university in China in the economic center of Shanghai.
More programs..
Student Life
Living and Eating in 'Happy Camp'
Gambia-bound students live in the E62 Kanifing Estates compound, a personal residence that houses students and faculty participants in St. Mary's PEACE program in Gambia (Promoting Educational and Cultural Exchange). A group of four students who studied at the UTG during the spring semester, 2006, were the first to live in the compound. They are known as the alkalolu (alkalo is the term for a village chief, and is selected from the family that founded the village). The alkalos selected the name "Happy Camp" for the compound. Living in Happy Camp appeals to students with an interest in the arts, education, modern or traditional medicine, music, and urban life.
Students will enjoy double occupancy rooms with shared bathrooms on the second floor of the residence. You will have a twin bed with mosquito net, a fan, a wardrobe for your clothes, and a bathroom. There are sheets on your bed and a clean pair of sheets in your wardrobe. This floor also offers a large open area which serves as a student lounge and seminar space.
The entire ground floor in the main house is considered public space where you'll find a kitchen, dining room, living room, study room/internet room, and half bath.
The third floor has a storage room for luggage and safe deposit boxes. This floor also has a large verandah for social activities, and the spiral staircase to the roof top verandah. The roof top verandah is an excellent location for eating your lunch or dinner. It is also a good place for discussion or language and culture classes. Usually there is a wonderful breeze on the roof.
Students are provided with three meals a day. Monday through Friday you'll be served traditional, family-style Gambian dinners at the residence. You'll receive a stipend for weekday lunches and for meals on the weekends to give you flexibility to eat in town and with friends.
New for spring semester 2012: The 2012 Field Studies Program will offer students the option of living in the Mandinka village of Brefet, which is about 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) east of the residence at Kanifing Estates. This site will appeal to students with an interest in archaeology, oral history, or studies of rural village life.
Staying Fit
The University of The Gambia does not have its own fitness facilities, but students find they do a lot of walking and can squeeze in runs around the neighborhood to keep fit.
Student Activities
As part of your semester program, students will participate in two field trips. The first is a multi-day trip up-country to such sites as Abuko Nature Reserve, Tumani Tenda, Albreda/Juffureh, James Island, Farafenni, Kerr Batch and Wassu, Janjangbureh, and Njau where you will experience village life. The second will be to Dakar, Senegal to visit Goree Island.
Computer Lab
You'll find a computer lab on the first floor of the St. Mary's residence with an internet connection that can carry up to four computers at one time. There are two SMCM laptop computers available for shared SMCM faculty and student use. These laptops must remain in the compound, so you may wish to bring your own computer. There is also a printer and scanner for use in the lab.
