Amman, Jordan: Great Overall Experience Past Review
By Lili M (International Studies, Kenyon College) for
AMIDEAST: Amman - Area & Arabic Language Studies
I feel like the thing I gained most from Jordan was a better and deeper understanding of Middle Eastern history and politics, and the independent travel I was able to do during the program was amazing.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The professors, especially the Arabic professors, were very good. The teaching style of the content course professors was very different and having a 3-hour meeting once a week was interesting, but I enjoyed all of my classes and I felt the workload was comparable to a course at Kenyon, which was surprising, but pleasing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The support was high quality and I felt like I could go to the administration with any issues. They were so nice and present, and we did some great activities together! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was amazing, and so welcoming. They were an open and accepting family of all religions and all types, although they were Muslim, and they opened their house to me and my roommate, even moving people around to different rooms to accommodate us! They always cooked for us and the food was amazing. The neighborhood was fine, a bit far from everything but taxis were always available. Their apartment was beautiful and specious. I didn't have to buy anything but I did buy my own towel because I didn't want to be an imposition. |
| * Food: |
The food was delicious, especially from my host family. I recommend maqlubeh, it's amazing! Great places to eat: al-Quds for falafel (but it only comes in sandwitches) there's one chinese shop off Rainbow street that no one knows about, try to find it. There's also an amazing Italian restaurant between 2nd and 3rd circle but I forget the name. We also ate at a falafel place off wakalat street that's a big chain and is very cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The social life was quite good for Americans, there are places to go for nightlife if you want to, and Jordanians are happy to show you their favorite spots. Our trips were amazing. The Wadi Rum trip was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had, and Petra was just as great. And the Dead Sea! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The safety situation seemed good. I always felt safe in taxis and going home at night, although I tried not to go home alone as much as possible. There was a security guard stationed at the ministry across from my apartment 24/7, which really helped with security. I came down with an intestinal bug halfway through the program and had an experience with a Jordanian hospital. The clinics there are relatively easy to access and cheap, with not long wait times. The hospital itself was comfortable, had good food, and was clean. The operation they wanted to do on me, a partial colonoscopy, did not require general antesthesia, but they wanted to give it to me anyway — my mom ended up insisting over the phone that they only give me localized anesthesia. I ended up feeling much better with the antibiotics they gave me, so it was an overall positive experience! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We didn't have formal language partners, which I felt may have been a detraction. We were encouraged to independently contact language partners, but there were no formal meetings with them, although we did have formal meetings with other native Jordanians but we spoke in English. I felt that English was too easy to speak in because we had no language pledge and had many classes in English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | In Jordan it's easy to speak english, so you have to be motivated if you want to speak Arabic. Even I consider myself very motivated but I had to work hard to find people to speak Arabic with. |
