Morocco: My New Home Past Review
By Zac Smith (University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) - abroad from 06/19/2017 to 08/19/2017 with
AMIDEAST: Rabat - Summer Intensive Arabic
I learned a ton of Arabic and so much of Moroccan culture, it was most definitely worthwhile.
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. |
The educational experience is quite rigorous and if you fully devote yourself to your studies you will be amazed at how much you can learn. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There were multiple issues that others in the program had in the administration due to miscommunications between the Rabat HQ and the D.C. HQ, however, in the end everything ended up ok. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a host family is the best experience you can have and it was so beneficial to me. |
| * Food: |
The food provided by my family was incredible, however, the stipend that was given to us for lunches throughout the week did seem somewhat meager since we were in an expensive area of town. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was taking many opportunities to interact with others in the culture and by the time I left Morocco truly felt like my home. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care was never a problem. Of course there were times of mild stomach discomfort, however, there were no issues at all if help was required. |
| * Safety: |
Safety was never an issue to me as a male in the city. There were multiple complaints about harassment from some of the women on the program, but I never had any issues. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program has a great reputation and is one of the most rigorous, however, I would have serious questions as there were close alternatives for 1/4th of the cost. |
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) |
If you like traveling and eating you will definitely spend more. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $120 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Watch your food expense, it add's up |
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? | Arabic 102 |
| 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? | Study, study, study, and then travel a ton on the weekends and practice with random people on the bus, train, and your town. |
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? | You are here to study and to experience the culture, so be careful in how to balance the two because while the language is most important. If you miss out on culture you have wasted the program. |
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.' |
