Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic program was very weak, HOWEVER, I learned more than I've ever learned in my life living in the dorms with the Egyptian students and being under the language pledge.

On-site administration of your program

I don't know where the blame lies for the weak academic part of the program, but we certainly did our fair share of evaluating and complaining about the courses that didn't seem to have much effect on the situation. I suspect that it was merely the work ethic of the Egyptian teachers that made the program weak and not the administration. The administrators were definitely knowledgeable and accessible at all times.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in the Egyptian dormitories and were fortunate enough to have air conditioning and heat, luxuries typically not afforded to Egyptian students. Still, the dorms were old, the rooms were small, beds uncomfortable, bathrooms unclean, and eating areas definitely lacking sufficient sanitation efforts. The dorms were also the best thing about the program however, because I was able to establish real friendships with the Egyptians and excel in the language. <br /><br />

The food, while occasionally tasty, was not prepared with what I would consider adequate sanitation. I was seriously ill for 5 days in the country and have a hard time not blaming these poor conditions for my infection.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The non-academic part was the best part. Interacting with real Egyptians was a great experience and something I will never forget.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The program administrators were definitely watching out for us at all times and doing their best to take care of us in a society that lacks any real medical infrastructure. One student was unfortunately in a serious accident but the administrators handled the situation as well as they could in Egypt and the student fortunately survived the incident.

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

The language of Egypt is not modern standard Arabic, the language I had been taking prior to going abroad. The colloquial form is very different and I had absolutely no prior exposure to it. Having said that the language pledge and the living situation made rapid improvement a possibility and I consider myself nearly fluent in the colloquial form.

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• Dorm

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• Americans