Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Improved my Arabic a lot Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/27/2015 to 12/19/2015 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Language skills- definitely worth it as I could not have done the same at my home institution.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I definitely felt like there were high expectations for certain things: class attendance, quality of work, etc. It was a similar workload to my Arabic classes at Wellesley but overall less work than I have in a semester at Wellesley.

* 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

My goal was to improve my Arabic and I definitely did. Having had the opportunity to see other programs in Amman this definitely was the best option.

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)

I didn't spend a lot on food but transportation was very expensive- I spent about $5/day just getting to school and back. More if I wanted to go anywhere else.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Request to live close to the University if possible. Eat as much food from your host family as possible

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

There is a language pledge and you get in trouble if you Don't use the language.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 202 (intermediate)
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Academics
  • Mentor Program
  • Food
* What could be improved?
  • Living alone was bad
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much I would be spending on transportation and more about my specific neighborhood.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!