The Middle East Meets Me Past Review
By Michael L (International Economics and Finance, Austin College) for
CIEE: Sharjah - Business, Engineering, Arts and Sciences
I knew absolutely nothing about the Middle East before I did this program. I gained a new perspective about international politics and how people view the US. I learned Arabic. I converted to Islam. I feel less ignorant about Arabs.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program director was extremely helpful. She took care of all paper work and anything that needed to be handled with the administration on campus. Everything was prepared for us prior to our arrival. The administration in the Middle East is very disorganized and a hassle to get any accomplished. Having Miranda Battenburg as the director made life very easy. She was easy to approach and easy to contact. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took trips to Abu Dhabi and Oman. It was nice to see other parts of the Gulf Region. On my own time I went to Kuwait and Egypt. There is a wide variety of cultures in Dubai itself. The food is the best part. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
There are security guards ALL over campus. There are guarded gates that surround the campus. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about $350 a week. Outings into the city of Dubai can be expensive. The price of alcohol, events, and some restaurants can be really high. Eating at a standard restaurant is relatively inexpensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget and STICK TO IT. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | A mini-mester of introductory Arabic. I learned the alphabet and could read and write |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My language skills could have greatly improved, but I was on an American style campus living in an area where the main language is English. Because of that, my use of Arabic was rather limited. |
Other Program Information
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you know nothing about the Middle East, Arabs, or Islam. This is a great way to learn about all of it. Everyone there is really open minded and generally willing to help you. It's easy to learn there because everything is pretty modern, western, and the main language is English. You also get to experience a Middle Eastern perspective on international politics which is VERY COOL. |
