Frustrating, still awesome Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Language courses (Fusha and Amiyya) were good, although they assigned so much homework that they made true free time rare. Content courses were extremely boring and moved much too slowly.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my host family (Samar al-Qaisi), especially the kids, but my room was not adequate. Specifically, my bed was very uncomfortable. The mattress was thin, lumpy, and too small for the bed. Another student had bedbugs in her room and consequently was completely miserable for the first several weeks of the program. In the future, program administrators need to visit host families and inspect the living areas where they're planning to house students at least once a year. Also, I specifically stated in my housing questionnaire that I did not want a roommate, and I was placed with a roommate anyway. She was difficult to get along with at times, and this affected my overall experience negatively.

My host family (al-Qaisi) did not provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. There were usually adequate materials for making breakfast, and Friday breakfasts with my family were amazing, one of the consistent highlights of my experience in Jordan, but there weren't always leftovers with which to make lunch, and we were never given ingredients for making basic lunch foods like sandwiches. We needed cold cuts or at least peanut butter and jelly. There was always dinner on weekdays, but Friday-Sunday we could not depend on food. Samar would often be out of the house on the weekends, and if she wasn't there there wasn't anything to eat. Also, I know the diet is different in Jordan, but there were so few healthy options. Unless I was going to a sit-down restaurant, which I could rarely afford, I was only eating bread, rice, falafel, chicken, and beef. No significant portions of fruits, vegetables, or fish. Consequently, I gained almost 15 pounds in Jordan.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I got to attend some wonderful cultural events with my host family like big dinners at my host mom's mom's house, Ramadan iftars at uncles and aunt's houses, and even a wedding! But at the university, I didn't feel we were integrated with the Jordanian students at all. The murshideen (mentors) were helpful, but we hardly ever saw them on regular school days. We only saw them at special events, so we couldn't really form friendships. It would be great if some of the non-language classes could be designed to appeal to some of the mentors. Maybe if one or two classes were taught in English, that would create an opportunity for professors to share the full depth and breadth of their knowledge, give Jordanian students an opportunity to practice their English listening and speaking skills in an academic setting, and give American students a chance to really engage with their professors and peers intellectually. One of my problems with my classes was that we were never really communicating interesting or profound ideas because our speaking abilities were so limited. Actually, I felt really intellectually starved in my classes all semester.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

When I had a health issue, Zain was very prompt in taking me to a doctor and helping me deal with it. But I hardly ever got exercise (perhaps money for a gym membership should have been given to every student?), and, as I mentioned before, some of our homestays were not helpful for our health. Several people had bedbugs, and I hardly slept during my first week in Amman, partly because of my bed. Also, my roommate and I had violent diarrhea three times, each time after eating a specific dish made by our host mom (mulukhiyah). Maybe warn future students about this dish?

I was frustrated with certain things about my living situation and my classes, but I wouldn't trade the opportunity to live with a host family, explore Amman, practice my Arabic, and travel around Jordan, Israel/Palestine, and Lebanon.

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

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

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Program trips - Wadi Rum was a highlight for me
• Being on the University of Jordan campus

• Ensure that living conditions are adequate and HONOR students' requests about having or not having a roommate
• Make non-language classes cover more material. Teach at least one lower-level and one upper-level class in English so students can really engage with their teachers
• Prioritize students' fitness more. They must have better diets and they MUST have opportunities to exercise. That's not something you should expect them to pay for because many cannot afford to.

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer