White Girl Adventuring in the Arab World Past Review
By Katlin F (Language and Linguistics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/08/2011 to 06/15/2012 with
CIEE: Amman - Arabic Language
It was absolutely worthwhile. I learned what life is.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
In the fall semester I was a participant in the Language and Culture program which was not academically rigorous. In the spring I was in the Arabic Language program which was much more rigorous. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I really enjoyed all the members of the administration, but I felt that year-long students got a bit ignored second semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had an excellent housing situation, particularly second semester. |
| * Food: |
Food was as good or bad as you chose to make it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
First semester I felt like I was surrounded by Americans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The local healthcare system was moderate, but I was not pleased with how the program handled it. I especially disliked the iNext insurance. It is incredibly hard to be reimbursed and the red tape and bureaucracy involved is absolutely ridiculous. I appreciated the help CIEE offered, but they absolutely need to switch insurance programs. It was mandatory for me to purchase their travel insurance and I found the coverage dreadful and their customer service appalling. |
| * Safety: |
Jordan really is a relatively safe country, despite its location in an unstable region. I was, however, very uncomfortable with the attention which I received from men there. |
| 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) |
Jordan is a relatively cheap country so I found it relatively easy to live on a moderate student budget. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $600-$800/semester |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would advise students to buy food and bring their own lunches to school rather than order out every day. I would also recommend finding a bus to take instead of taxis. |
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 |
First semester, very little. Second semester- fantastic. |
| 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? | I had completed Arabic 40, which is intermediate. |
| 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? | I would advise students to practice flashcards/vocabulary in taxis or during any spare moments. I would also say- just keep at it! Instead of switching to English, force yourself to describe what you want in Arabic. Force yourself to speak in Arabic and just keep trying. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I had done the Arabic Language program first and second semester program. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introduction to Poetry |
| Course Department: | AL |
| Instructor: | Professor Nizar |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | I found this class really wonderful and interesting, but we could have had more challenging work outside of class. It was a bit too critical of our own poetry writing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
