Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I miss Jordan! Past Review

By (University of Oklahoma) - abroad from 06/14/2013 to 08/08/2013 with

AMIDEAST: Amman - Intensive Arabic, Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot of Arabic and got to have experiences that I would not have gained anywhere else!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Modern Standard Arabic portion of the program was 5/5 stars but the Colloquial Jordanian Arabic portion was maybe 4/5 stars in terms of rigor

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I always felt very safe in Amman, even walking alone at night.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Amman is a fairly expensive city, plus I traveled around Jordan every weekend.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Arabic 102
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • quality of Qasid Institute teachers
  • atmosphere of Amman
* What could be improved?
  • public transportation
  • Class sizes in 2nd half of the program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How expensive Amman can be.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!