Best study abroad experience yet Past Review
By A student (University of Pennsylvania) - abroad from 06/12/2014 to 08/08/2016 with
American University of Beirut: Beirut - Intensive Summer Arabic Program
I sincerely learned a lot about myself. I made some very good friends, and even a current ex-girlfriend (long story). When I look back at my time there, I realized how much I learned outside of the classroom by interacting with the culture. It wasn't one of those programs that coddles you and makes you draw about your feelings with crayons only to speak broken Arabic with other Americans. Cames did a really good job at exposing us to the environment. When I would read about a social issue in class, I would find it came up in multiple occasions whether it was a conversation with a taxi driver complaining about the economic state, or lunch with a friend friend giving general commentary on the social issues of the region. Everyone there was receptive to new ideas and the teachers were absolutely amazing. To this day the best Arabic teacher I've had to date (I took 6 semesters of Arabic at an Ivy league school) was one of my TAs in Cames.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
To be honest, it wasn't the best, but the people I met made up for it entirely. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Some of my best memories in college come from that summer. I not only made immensely close friends in the program, but we also made many friends outside the program. We naturally developed a very close friend group with a mix of locals and people in the program (it wasn't forced like some programs awkwardly do). We also became very close with our TAs who were very perceptive to hang out with us outside of class. I still keep in contact with almost everyone in that group. When I worked in Beirut the summer after, it was very nice to know i had a solid group of close friends waiting for me there. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Beirut is inevitably an expensive city. Having said that, it is very possible to live on any budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $800 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to eat as much local / "hole in the wall" food around bliss street. It's delicious. Also, try to visit the families of friends you've made. They are very hospitable and make amazing food that ends up being free! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I am fluent in colloquial arabic, but in Fusha, I had only completed the first year |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | They program was very helpful at ensuring we used arabic as much as possible. The TAs were extremely helpful in making sure we knew how to handle it. They didn't coddle us, and they pushed us to really challenge ourselves and master the language. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How amazing of an experience this would be. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was the closest thing to a study abroad experience in Damascus (which unfortunately cannot happen now) |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
