Cultural contact, constant support, and encouragement to explore! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The resources were enough for the courses that AMIDEAST offered for this term, but it was still difficult to track down books or articles in a library other than ACOR which was difficult to reach sometimes. The academic rigor wasn't the same as that of my university, but I think it fit the expectations the program had for making sure we explored the city and got out into the community. I am used to a trimester system, so the semester system did not seem as rigorous either.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration was organized and creative, asking for regular feedback from students about the fun programs we wanted to have at AMIDEAST in addition to their constant suggestions. Also, the program ran smoothly and I felt very safe and taken care of by all of the study abroad staff in Amman.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My host family were kind people who were willing to talk to me and my roommate in Arabic and very enthusiastic about our studies and getting to know Amman. However, they had trouble providing all of the necessary resources for us, just as AMIDEAST told them to do in the very beginning. Essentially, communicating with them even in Arabic caused stress for me and my roommate such as we had cold and infrequent showers, no laundry washed for 5 weeks and during one period of time, sporadic meals.

The food options in Amman are numerous, especially for cheap food. My host family was excited to share Middle Eastern dishes with me and I found exploring food to be one of the greatest ways to get to know Jordan and the city. It's absolutely delicious, and the city has so many options.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt the most integrated from exploring my neighborhood and going to events around the city with my Jordanian friends. However, I found it difficult to truly integrate with local culture just by the simple fact that my sub-par Arabic and western look made me stick out and therefore put people on the defensive sometimes.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Amman is a city with wonderful quiet neighborhoods intermixed with bustling streets. As long as I used common sense and the tips provided by AMIDEAST, just as I would in my home city of Minneapolis, I found Amman to be inviting and safe. I only felt unsafe two times during my 4 month stay and nothing every came of these very minor instances. Don't let fears about safety keep you from studying in Amman. All of the action is far away near the Syrian border in small peripheral towns, and frequent security updates from the Embassy, AMIDEAST and iJet keep you informed.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It was WAY cheaper in my experience, definitely less than what AMIDEAST estimates your expenditure will be. It's always good to be prepared to spend more, but oh so nice when you don't.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Target Language Commitment Tuesdays were very helpful and the effects of always trying to speak Arabic continued throughout my time abroad.

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• The additional cultural dialogue and language partner programs to meet Jordanians
• The amazing Qasid Professors!
• The wonderful study abroad staff

• The space for study abroad students in the AMIDEAST building needs to be expanded
• More required Arabic-only days during the week
• More information on alternative transportation like public transport from the beginning