Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Studying abroad is addicting!!! Past Review

By (Criminal Justice, Political Science, Marquette University) - abroad from 06/11/2014 to 08/13/2014 with

AMIDEAST: Amman - Intensive Arabic, Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
One of the most important things coming into this experience was learning about the people. As a future U.S. Army Officer, understanding the people I will be working with down the road is essential to me making a difference in the world. Therefore, learning about their culture and values, as well as the language, will only help me in my efforts to spread the peace. This trip allowed me to gain access to personal stories, history, and so on that I would not have gathered otherwise.

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.

I received a good base-knowledge of the Arabic language, though there are some in-house teaching strategies that made the intensiveness more challenging than necessary: lack of teaching organization, material on test that was not covered, etc.

* 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:

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)

I was able to live off of $1200 for two months. Having an dividable amount from the beginning is something that is incredibly beneficial because then I had a preset budget for my two months abroad.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? N/A, mainly taxi fare - something that definitely needs to be included in budget
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? $1200 definitely was enough to last me two months, while still having some left at the end. I advise having a dividable amount from the get-go, not going out every, single night and take out more cash than needed from ATMs so you do not continuously pay the out-of-country charges.

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? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? N/A
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Start applying the language to the real-world ASAP! I made the mistake at first of only studying vocabulary and not trying to interact with people. Once I started to speak what I was memorizing, you build up your confidence and skill with the language!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* 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?
  • Learning about the people
  • Living in a westernized Middle Eastern country
  • Becoming familiar with the Arabic language - getting to know two different dialects as well
* What could be improved?
  • The teaching styles of the teachers
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew exactly how different the teaching style is overseas in comparison to the U.S. My fellow peers and I had a difficult time learning because of the lack of organization, structure and communication among the teachers.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.