Meknes, Morocco: An Unexpected Home-Away-From-Home Past Review
By Breanna T (International Relations & History, Drake University) for
ISA Study Abroad in Meknes, Morocco
Absolutely. It was different than I anticipated, but definitely worth it.
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 content courses and Arabic grammar class was great, but would have like more of a language focus. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program size, location, university, and on-site directors were all fantastic! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The neighborhood, conditions, house, etc. were all excellent, but the family I was placed with would have been better suited for a student looking to practice their French and not Arabic. |
| * Food: |
They fed us well. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of the cultural excursions were great and a lot of fun.The one to Merzouga and the Sahara Desert was my favorite! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
No problems with safety and health. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Morocco is extremely cheap compared to other places. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The grammar content portion of the course was immensely helpful, but the program is still developing the portion for advanced students and is currently better suited for those in the beginning to intermediate level of language. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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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? | If you are looking to explicitly improve your Arabic language skills, Morocco may not be the best for you, but if you want more than just language out of your study abroad experience, seriously consider Morocco. It is an enchanting place that you'll not want to leave. |
