Life Changing Past Review
By A student (Psychology, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/15/2016 to 05/14/2016 with
AMIDEAST Rabat - Area & Arabic Language Studies
I gained a lot of self confidence and it was totally worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Doha is amazing and can help with any questions/concerns you may have. I'm giving 3 stars because I had several issues with the administration due to miscommunication and inappropriate comments. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was amazing. They were one of the best parts of living in Morocco. |
| * Food: |
Food was delicious all the time. Sometimes you can get tired of eating the same thing over and over again, but the quality was always excellent. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I only ever got a couple of colds, so those were easy to manage and the pharmacies had the medicine I needed. |
| * Safety: |
Rabat is a safe city, but all women need to be prepared for sexual harassment, cat-calling, etc. No matter how conservatively you dress, it's going to happen. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I loved Morocco and I hope to return someday, but my program actually was the biggest cause of my difficulties abroad, and I would not choose to study with them again. |
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) |
I budgeted very well so I was fine. Living in Morocco is much cheaper than living in the states. However, it can be easy to get carried away, so keep track of your spending for the first few weeks until you get a sense of how much everything costs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | No more than $20/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Bargain, bargain, bargain! You can always get a lower price when shopping for in the medina. |
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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 3 semesters of Arabic |
| 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? | Put yourself in new situations alone. I found that traveling with friends with more years of Arabic study made me defer to them for everything, and I didn't push myself to speak. But if you're alone, you have to talk so you can get more practice in. |
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? | That my program does not make religious accommodations, although they said they did when I spoke to staff members before arriving in Morocco. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
