An incredible experience Past Review
By A student (Knox College) - abroad from 08/21/2016 to 12/17/2016 with
AMIDEAST Rabat - Area & Arabic Language Studies
Well, obviously I learned a lot, more than I could ever write in a review. Morocco is definitely a unique place to live for four months as an American, but in all the good ways. A very different experience than those who studied in Europe for sure!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Not as rigorous as I anticipated, but I also am glad it was not too hard because I was also focusing on learning Moroccan culture outside the classroom. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program director was amazing! She knows everything and could answer all my obscure questions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my host family. The location was good, near a tram stop, grocery store, and cafes. Family was incredibly welcoming, made good food, and was patient with my arabic. |
| * Food: |
Loved my host mom's food! Not the biggest fan of the lunch options near the Amideast building, but I found a few good, cheap places and stuck to them. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The language partner program is a real hit or miss, and I was lucky to have a great partner who showed me the local culture. It also depends on how much you want to put yourself out there! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never personally had to interact with a local doctor, but my friends did and they were efficient and better than nothing. I did go to the pharmacy and they had most medicines that I knew or needed. |
| * Safety: |
I generally felt safe! Lots of people before and after my trip ask this question a lot and I always say the harassment from men was the worst but personally never felt in danger from that. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Amideast has been doing this for a very long time, so they know how to handle things thrown their way. |
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) |
Morocco is very cheap compared to Europe and if one budgets well, you could save a lot of money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I gave myself a budget of $200 for twoish weeks and, with travel on weekends, I could typically stay within that budget |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely budget (even though it feels like you don't have to!) so you splurge on Fall break or more expensive trips to, for example, the Sahara. |
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 |
Aside from classes, Amideast encouraged us to talk using our target languages exclusively on Wednesdays in the Amideast building. |
| 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? | none |
| 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? | My family did not really speak English so I used that to my advantage to learn new words and phrases that were not covered in class. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | bring a rain jacket because when it rains it pours |
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.' |
