Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Culturally fantastic, academically/linguistically lacking Past Review

By (English, Arabic, Tufts University) - abroad from 09/01/2012 to 12/21/2012 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learning amiyya is essential to learning arabic, and there's no good way to do it except to go abroad.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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? 50-100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Eat cheaply-- sometimes the cheapest places are going to have the best food anyway.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? Second-year Arabic
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? Speak with Jordanians.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The cultural immersion
* What could be improved?
  • The academics
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the Middlebury program in Jordan is very new and consequently the classes are severely lacking; while I didn't want them to consume all of my time, as that's not the point of studying abroad, I did want them to be more compelling, more engaging, and more useful to learning Arabic. All of the Arabic that I learned while abroad I learned outside of the classroom, which should not be the case. While abroad what you learn in the classroom should reinforce and inspire what you learn outside.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.