Midd's 1st Semester in Amman--won't reflect your experience! Past Review
By A student (Anthropology., Tufts University) - abroad from 09/10/2011 to 12/20/2011 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman
It was absolutely worthwhile and I don't regret going. My language skills improved significantly and I made the best of a difficult situation
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Middlebury's language pledge is indisputably the best option, and I was lucky to have a group that kept it almost entirely through the semester. However, I did not find most of my classes to be fulfilling or challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
This was a condition of Middlebury's first semester in Jordan, I think the housing situation is better |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Again, my experience was probably not representative of future semesters because it was Middlebury's first semester in Amman. We did not have local roommates and it was difficult to make friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The administration left us to our own devices when we were sick |
| * Safety: |
Although women will be verbally abused, you don't have to worry about being physically harmed in Amman |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * 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? | $50-$75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Learn to love eating cans of beans, and buy delicious, cheap, fresh bread from bakeries |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| 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? | Arabic 4 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Keep up the language pledge! It's difficult but entirely worth it and was definitely the best part of my semester |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | That Middlebury was not yet prepared to run a program in Amman, and I should have looked into other programs. Again, I think they have their act together at this point |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Modern Standard Arabic |
| Course Department: | Arabic |
| Instructor: | Salwa Mubaideen |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | I happened to have had an incredible teacher who essentially abandoned Al-Kitaab and took to teaching us more relevant topics and vocabulary that helped me immensely while I was abroad |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
