The University of Ghana doesn’t offer my major, so I had the option of taking whatever courses I wanted to this semester. My intentions were to only take cultural courses while I was here, but I changed my mind and decided to study business at the University of Ghana Business School. The business school is one of the premier schools in the sub-region of Ghana. As much as I enjoy studying journalism, I know that I am a business man at heart.
I am taking four business courses this semester: Elements of Marketing, Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, Management of Non-Government Organization and Human Behavior in Organizations. I am also taking an introduction to drumming class in the school of performing arts.
There are about 34,000 students attending the university this semester. The majority of students are Ghanaian and come from various economic backgrounds and different regions of Ghana. There are also over 100 international students here. The campus is very large and is located about 13 kilometers north-east of Accra, the capital of Ghana.
The student hostel I live in is located about a 15 minute walk from campus or a five minute drive if I take the school shuttle (which looks more similar to a Greyhound bus in the U.S.).
The local students seem to take their education seriously. They are required to take a minimum of 18 credits per semester (which is the equivalent of 18 credits at USU); so studying is vital. It is uncommon for Ghanaians students to work while going to college. The families of many Ghanaian students support their educational costs so that they can solely focus on their education while in school. It is more common for Ghanaian students to take on a summer job or internship if they decide to work at all. Many Ghanaians find it very odd that so many teenagers in the U.S. move out of their parents' homes when they are 18 years old. If that were to happen here, it would look bad for your family. Many Ghanaians also find it odd that students in the U.S. say that they don't want to go to college. Education is not taken for granted here.
Many of the classes offered here have one cumulative exam at the end of the semester worth anywhere from 70-100% of your entire grade. So I will definitely be studying a lot and learning some techniques from some of my local friends on how to prepare for final exams.
There is no limit on how many people can register for one class, so I usually have to get to my classes about 20 minutes early just to get a seat. Once one class in the business school is done in a particular classroom, there is a rush of students trying to get into the classroom for the next class. A lot of the students save seats for their friends, so it's important to make some friends, so that they can save a seat for you if you ever have to come late to class.
My classes are going very well and most of my professors are very funny. My professors are all Ghanaian and have fairly strong accents. I am usually laughing “inside” because just about everything they say sounds funny to me!
The lectures are very interesting and what I like most is that my professors use a lot of examples from local culture and businesses to explain concepts. This allows me to learn a lot more about Ghanaian culture, government, businesses, etc. The professors also care a lot about the local students and encourage them to help develop their communities and country once they begin professional careers.
I must admit that I do enjoy class here more than in the states.
One thing worth mentioning is that some of the local students preach before some classes begin. Seriously! A full sermon, bible included. So as I wait for my professor to show up for my Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship class every Tuesday around 7:10 A.M., there is always a student preaching the word of God. The students preach at their own discretion, but are not supposed to be doing so since this school is not a private institution, but they do it anyways. They even ask the class to close their eyes and pray with them … even going as far as asking those who have not given their life to God, to do so, while they are in class. None of the students stop this from happening, mainly due to the large Christian community on campus.
This definitely adds a spark to my Tuesday mornings.
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