my study abroad experience at Alexandria University Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It's difficult to compare academics in a country like Egypt to academics in a country like America-- it's apples and oranges. The emphasis there is much different from what it is here. My overall language comprehension (listening in particular) is far better than before studying abroad, but my grammar skills are about the same as before I left. The course variety however, I thought was really good. And, most importantly, my knowledge of Egyptian colloquial Arabic and Egyptian culture really developed well.

On-site administration of your program

Our program hit a lot of rough patches, which probably could have been avoided with a more responsive and adapting administration. However, when the problems did eventually arise, the administration did a good job trying to deal with them. They were very responsive and eager to hear our complaints and suggestions about the program, however they did not adequately fix the problems that we brought up.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Luckily, the girls' dorm is relatively close to Alexandria University. However, the dorms very quickly begin to feel more like a prison than a dormitory. With security guards in front, the doors locked at 10 PM, and dozens and dozens of women overseers milling about, it became very difficult to not feel claustrophobic. And on top of that, there was often no internet available. So, we were sometimes in impossible situations, where we had assignments due the next day with no internet available and the front doors locked. Nonetheless, the Egyptian roommates on the whole were absolutely wonderful. They are all extremely kind and helpful and extremely understanding about the cultural differences that arise. <br /><br /> I never knew how much I need and love internet until I lived in a dormitory with spotty internet access and no ability to leave the dorm at night! The location is very good, especially considering how far away the boys live. And the girls are almost right at the sea! On the whole, I felt pretty safe in the neighborhood.

The women who cooked for us were very kind and for the most part tried to accommodate our problems. The food got a little tiring after a while, since we ate mostly the same things every day. But, it wasn't too terrible. And there was usually more than enough food. Plus, there are always shawarma and falafel stands, where you can buy a delicious filling sandwich for about 18 to 50 cents.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The trips we went on were fantastic! We traveled to several different places in Egypt. While the transportation to these places were often exhausting (20 hour bus rides), it was usually worth it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Medical facilities in Egypt are not great. So if you can bring as many medications with you as possible, DO SO. Often, we felt better off self-medicating with prescriptions from home than getting treated at hospitals, where treatments are often somewhat suspicious. The program does what it can to help students when they are sick, and its appreciated. However, we tried to avoid the hospitals at all costs after seeing how poor the treatments were.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Without going abroad, I would never have learned colloquial Arabic, which is important for listening comprehension, watching television, movies, talking to people, etc. In that way, my listening comprehension is far better now than before. Also, constantly talking to Egyptians in Arabic has increased my speaking speed and understanding.

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• Dorm

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• Americans