Oman - Culturally and historically rich, off the beaten path Past Review
By Adam H (Arabic and International Relations Dual Major, United States Naval Academy) - abroad from 01/14/2014 to 05/18/2014 with
AMIDEAST: Muscat - Area & Arabic Language Studies
I gained too much to type here! But I will say that it has given me a new appreciation for Middle Eastern - and in a broad sense, international - culture. Worthwhile? Absolutely.
Review Photos
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. |
My experience at AmidEast Oman was one of good balance; the workload was enough that I had to study and learn, though not so difficult that I couldn't get out on the weekends and explore the country. It wasn't always at a consistent pace, but the overall balance was good. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program admins were the most organized I have ever seen in a study abroad program; you will never have a problem in-country that they can't help you navigate or take care of. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had our own apartments. While this did sacrifice some cultural learning (an unavoidable byproduct of the difficulty to house young males in Omani homes) the freedom of having our own place had its own benefits. We enjoyed hosting Omani friends that we made over the course of the year. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There are some aspects of local culture that foreigners will just never see. Even in a relatively conservative society such as Oman, however, you will get out of the program what you put into it. I tried to travel around the country as much as I could and made an effort to talk to/meet new people. I feel like I gained a decent understanding of how things run there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were very few health issues among our group, (I personally had none) though the admin staff heavily supports the exchange students, and there is an effective healthcare/insurance system in place. Long story short, there's nothing to worry about in this department. |
| * Safety: |
Oman is easily the quietest, safest country I have ever been to. The one concern, particularily in large cities like Muscat, is road safety. Car accidents are not rare, though AmidEast does everything they can to prepare their students to mitigate any potential danger on the highways. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 rials ($130.00). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Nothing more than the obvious; the more you bring with you, the more you can do! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | Foreign Language, Arabic, 300 |
| 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? | Muscat is a relatively easy place to get by using English. If you want to focus on pushing yourself academically with MSA or Omani Arabic, the opportunity to do so certainly exists. As usual, you will get out of the program what you put into it! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | It will fly by more quickly than you can possibly imagine; don't waste any time deliberating about what to do. If someone invites you to do something, or you have the slightest inkling to try some activity, don't hesitate! Just go. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
