The best semester of my life! January 27, 2024
By A student (Virginia Military Institute) - abroad from 08/27/2023 to 12/07/2023 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman
Asides from my language skills, I gained skills in cross cultural sensitivity, and cultural adaptability.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The opportunities provided by Middlebury were incredible, and the location being at the University of Jordan was fantastic. The faculty and professors they have in the program are among the best I've ever had, and the friendships I was enabled to make will last far into the future. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Always active and ready to share opportunities, information, and attentive to any and all problems that could have arose. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My best homestay experience I've ever had. I sincerely miss my host mom, and the neighborhood that I was in. |
| * Food: |
My host mom was a great cook, and I had the opportunity to cook for myself in the morning which was amazing. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
As someone who has studied abroad multiple times prior, ive always had regrets about the level of integration I achieved, or lack thereof. My experience with Middlebury however was the opposite. They got me to a proficiency level in Arabic where I was genuinely able to integrate, and could make friends and have social interactions exclusively in the target language. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Not applicable to my experience, but for others that had issues, they were addressed immediately and efficiently. |
| * Safety: |
This was the safest I have ever felt abroad, without question. everybody was so kind to me, and every single day I made new friends. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The experience of being at the University of Jordan is why I'd repeat it. I have only been at study abroad language centers previously, and as fun as those were, it was much harder to make friends and meet new people. |
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) |
Amman is an expensive city, but if you budget wisely, rarely eat out, and utilize busses (cheaper than Ubers or taxis), you will make it through fine. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | some weeks were moreso than others, but approximately 30 JD on transportation, and 20 JD on food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Have a grant that funds your 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 |
We had a language pledge! |
| 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? | 300 level at my university |
| 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? | Integrate into the broader culture. The majority of my friends were Jordanian, and that allowed me to always be speaking in Arabic. Furthermore everyone is very understanding and encouraging, so if you make it known you want to only speak Arabic, they will gladly respect that. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | During Project Week you are researching an assigned topic, and everyone attends the same lectures and meetings at the same times, regardless of proficiency |
