University of Ghana Housing Information and Preference Survey Dorm options at the University of Ghana You are able to indicate a preference of your on-campus dorm accommodations at UG. All students are required to live on-campus. Review the dorm comparison from the Ghana study center. We recommend that you consult with returnees when determining your dorm preference. There is a video of the housing options on YouTube. Indicate your housing preference in our online survey. The Ghana Study Center will do it s best to place you in your preferred housing choice. There are 10 spaces available at Volta Hall for females. There are about 8 spaces at Legon Hall for the males. Please note that the University of California is the only study abroad provider that the University of Ghana allows in the Ghanaian student dorms. Dormitory Comparison from University of Ghana Study Center The University of Ghana, Legon consists of 8 student dormitories: Akuafo Hall, Mensah Sarbah Hall, Legon Hall, Volta Hall, Commonwealth Hall, International Student Hostel (ISH), Pentagon Hostel, and Jubilee Hall. The following report compares and contrasts three specific halls open to UC students: Volta Hall, Legon Hall, and the International Students Hostel (ISH). UC students have a choice; all other international students live in ISH or off campus. Private internet is available everywhere on campus. Internet in Volta and Legon cafes is faster and more reliable than ISH or the internet of the university facilities. Like power and water, internet connectivity is subject to outages everywhere. General Information Volta Hall is an all-female hall located at the upper west side of campus and is open to UC female students. It s rectangular structure and three residential buildings is composed of a porters lodge, guest rooms, a small chapel, a dining hall, a library, a small laundry service, a hair salon, a small convenience store, and a computer lab with printing capabilities and free Wi-Fi for your laptop. The students who reside at Volta Hall are either first year students, fourth year students, students participating in an on-campus athletic group, or international students. The UC students in Volta hall live in the hall itself (not the annex). Most of students in Volta will have another Californian 1
student as their roommate. In the case of uneven numbers, they may be placed with an international or Ghanaian student. Legon Hall, open to UC male students, is also located on the upper western side of campus. It is composed of a main hall and three annexes. The main hall, designated for both men and women, consists of a porters lodge, a professors lounge, two dining halls, a library, a study room, two computer labs, a laundry service, a hair salon, and a convenience store. Behind the main hall are three annexes: Annex A, which houses men, Annex B which houses women, and Annex C which houses graduate level students. Similar to Volta Hall, Legon Hall is designated for students who are freshman, seniors, athletes, and international students. The UC students in Legon hall live on the fourth floor of an annex. Most of students in Legon will have another Californian student as their roommate. In the case of uneven numbers, they may be placed with an international or Ghanaian student. International Students Hostel (ISH) is a co-ed hostel located on the south end of campus and divided into two separate buildings: ISH 1 and ISH 2. Together, there is a porter s lodge, an in-house laundry service, a dining hall, an outdoor market, study rooms, on site tutors, and a computer lab with wireless internet access. It is a 10 minute walk from ISH to the study center. Security Students in all hostels are advised to lock all valuables any time they are not in their rooms, as thefts occur in all hostels. All rooms have desks or wardrobes with lockable drawers and chambers. It is possible in any hostel that these locks are ineffective or broken, so students whose rooms don t have any working locks should furnish their own. While theft is common, violent crimes are rare. Volta Hall Volta Hall has three entrances that access the entire structure. Two of these entries are unlocked until 7pm. The main entry, which is located at the front of the hall, is accessed by most individuals entering and exiting the hall. The main entry way is usually guarded by two porters 24 hours a day. The main entry is usually closed during the late evening and reopened in the morning. The Volta porters and Volta students are very strict on visiting hours. No students may enter or exit between set hours (11pm to 8am) and even if the porters are asleep and don t notice, other students will notice and will likely do something about it. Porters and security guards have amazing memories and will find and kick out visiting students in the late evenings. Only one 2
guard is on duty during the evening hours. These men can be found periodically walking around the perimeter of the building checking on students. Legon Hall Legon s main hall has three main entry ways during the day. Two of these entrances are monitored by rotating porters. During the evening hours, only one entry is left open for both entry and exiting the hall. Like most halls, porters and security personnel are expected to constantly monitor the hall for activity and keep a log of individuals entering and exiting the premises. The response time of both the porters and security guards to incidents are inefficient by university standards. Legon Hall s Annexes A through C are also poorly guarded and criminal activity (i.e. theft) is not uncommon. International Students Hostel (ISH) In each of the International Students Hostels, there is only one main entry way. Each entrance is tended by at least two security guards 24 hours a day. Each entrance is also headed by at least two porters. These porters require all non-residential persons to log their name, their host name to which they are visiting, their name, time in, time out, and a signature. ISH porters require that an ISH resident is present when a visiting student enters the hostel. Like Volta, ISH has strict visiting hours. Again, porters and security have great memory and will actively seek out visiting students after hours. Water and Power Power outages occur equally in all halls. They are almost always shorter than one hour and students get used to it. Water on campus is more plentiful during wet periods, but definitely does not run continuously. Volta Hall Ghana s water level is raised during the raining season and lowered significantly during the dry season. During the dry season, water outages appear more frequently in Volta Hall. Tanks are located on the ground level as well as on the subsequent floors providing for easy access for students who live on the upper floors. Toilets in Volta are private and are flushed by carrying water from a reservoir. Bathrooms in Volta have stalls or curtains. Power outages occur frequently as well during the dry season. Power is usually expected to be out at least once every two weeks. During this time, no backup generators are supplied to the 3
student halls. Students are expected to supply their own rechargeable lamps and flashlights when blackouts occur. Legon Hall Though Volta and Legon reside on the same side of campus, Legon has more frequent water outages. On the premises of the main hall exists 14 water reservoir tanks easily accessible to students on the ground. In addition to the tanks in the main hall, each annex also supplies the students with at least two additional tanks. When water stops running, students fetch water from the ground floor and carry it up to their rooms up the flights of stairs. Students in Legon should expect to take many bucket showers. Toilets in Legon are locked and shared between two rooms. There are some unlocked toilets open to anyone. These toilets are flushed by the custodians every few days when water is running; otherwise they are not able to flush. Bathrooms in Legon are very large and open. They offer no privacy. Despite the frequent water outages, Legon s power remains constant during both the rainy and dry season. Students still equip their room with flashlights and rechargeable lamps in the event that there is a mass power outage on campus. During this time, the main hall s restaurant, Time Out, supplies a power generator to dining students. Porters are also expected to have a backup light in the porters lodge to inspect students entering and exiting the premises. International Student Hostel (ISH) There are water reservoir tanks on the roofs of both ISH 1 and ISH 2. Each tank has a pipeline that is easily accessible to students on every level in the hall. Toilets in ISH generally have running water. Bathrooms in ISH have stalls or curtains. Power shortages occur and students equip their room with supplies. Backup generators are also available. Dining Options There are many dining options all over campus at a short distance from all hostels. Students are not limited to their own hostel s options for dining. Volta Hall Food options are mostly local dishes consisting of rice and fried vegetables, and are served from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. 4
Legon Hall There are two dining areas in Legon open from 9 a.m. to the late evening. The main dining hall serves local dishes, while the hall s restaurant Time Out serves mostly Chinese food. International Student Housing (ISH) ISH has a main dining hall that serves a variety of foods appropriate for breakfast and lunch. We do not encourage students to eat at the Night Market, even though it is cheaper. Many students have gotten sick from eating there. Cultural Advantages and Disadvantages Volta Hall/Legon Hall Students residing in Volta have expressed gratitude for being able to interact and live with Ghanaian students. Exchange of cultural values has allowed students to adapt to the society with confidence and reassurance. Such interactions include expose to new ideologies, beliefs, traditions, and ethical considerations. Living in Volta or Legon can expose students to a wider range of Ghanaians. Though there is much to gain from the blend of cultures, students living in either Volta and Legon are not surrounded by other international students and may at times appreciate visiting ISH 1 or 2 to feel a bit at home amongst more foreign students. However, living in either Legon Hall or Volta Hall is a wonderful opportunity to make more Ghanaian friends and have late night conversations and bond over fetching water or doing laundry. Living in Legon or Volta Hall, students have the opportunity to participate in hall pride events, like the Volta Hall Fashion Show or the Legon Hall Week. Living in Volta or Legon greatly impresses local students and makes them more comfortable with you. It is normal when meeting someone new on campus to ask where they live. Ghanaians meeting you will be pleasantly surprised you don t live in ISH. Legon and Volta are generally louder than ISH. Students can expect to be awoken by preachers with megaphones as early as 6am. Students living in Volta and Legon can expect many people to come by their room, whether or not they personally know the student. People selling goods, advertising religion, or looking to borrow something are common. It s acceptable to refuse any of their requests. International Students Hostel (ISH) 5
Despite the title, ISH is composed of international students from neighboring countries, countries all over the African continent, as well as Ghanaian students. These students also exchange cultural values amongst each other and live in harmony. Though ISH does not have Ghanaian students in great number as other halls do, a blending of culture still occurs amongst the students and all are able to genuinely gain some type of cultural experience. Students have noted that the Ghanaian and other foreign students who live at ISH are wealthier than the ones who live in a room with 5 or more students in the other hostels on campus. International Students Hostels I & II The International Students Hostels (ISH I and ISH II) are located on the southern part of the campus, off the road leading to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. ISH I opened in 2000 while ISH II opened in 2006. International Students Hostel (ISH) I Each Hostel has 4 floors with rooms of single and double occupancy. Each floor has a laundry room, 2 kitchenettes and a T.V. lounge. The ground floor has two Reading Rooms. There are two resident assistants who serve as the first point of call 24/7. These resident assistants work directly with the Office of the Dean, International Programmes. The Hostel maintains a "Travel Log Book" for students to register their travel plans so that the Office may take appropriate action should a student not return on the specified date. All visitors must sign in and out of the Visitor Book. Visitors who have not signed out are tracked down by the Porters and escorted out of the Hostel. Students are advised to bring along, or acquire on arrival, basic toiletries and other basic essentials to outfit their rooms (including a pillow). Laundry services are available on the ground floor for a fee. An internet café and convenience store are available on the first floor of ISH I. o Wifi is 1 cedi for one hour and 5 cedis for 24 hours. 6