Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Cairo is a unique and wonderful city filled with great people and culture Past Review

By (Religion/Religious Studies., Kenyon College) - abroad from 08/26/2012 to 12/21/2012 with

AMIDEAST: Cairo - Area & Arabic Language Studies in Egypt

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Everywhere, humans are humans. The other things I learned cannot be expressed in a paragraph. The experience was very worthwhile and I am so happy I went.

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.

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50 dollars, and I ate very, very well. It would be easy to live on 30 dollars a week in Cairo.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Do not eat on Otlob or other websites for foreigners, eat locally and call restaurants.

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? 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? Second year of Arabic
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* 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?
  • The Egyptians
  • The Professors (Dr. Heba and Dr. Ibrahim)
  • The Director (Matthew Kuehl)
* What could be improved?
  • Living with Americans is bad for immersion
  • More Arabic
  • More Arabic
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Some people do not handle stress as well as others, therefore, give people lots of space and ignore rudeness that is tolerable.

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!