Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great but hard Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/20/2018 to 12/21/2018 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a better understanding of Arabic and myself and what I want post graduation

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.

* 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

It is the best for language acquisition

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? 100-150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to find a cheap place to study.

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? 202
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Try to stick to the language pledge but you do not have to stick to it at the cost of your mental health

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?
  • classmates
  • ability to travel and see new sights
  • experience with Arabic
* What could be improved?
  • mentor program
  • communication
  • leaving the study abroad office open more so we can have a place to study and hang out for free.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Stuff about maintaining an active lifestyle, maybe how much it was going to cost me out of pocket to be a functional human

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 Adventurer
The 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:

Ammia 2
Course Department: Arabic
Instructor: Nadia Alassaf
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: We were assessed with tests, homework, skits, group projects. It was great.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Translation
Course Department: Arabic
Instructor: I honestly can't remember
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: The assessments seemed to be grades very arbitrarily. I would work on a project with a group and get a much lower score on my translations for using different English synonyms than my partners. It was very frustrating to constantly receive lower grades for no apparent reason
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Fusha 2
Course Department: Arabic
Instructor: Dalal
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: Love this class. Dalal was excellent and made the class informative, sun and interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Politics
Course Department: Arabic
Instructor: Can't remember
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: It was informative!
Credit Transfer Issues: no