Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An enriching, life-changing experience about Public Health in Jordan. October 28, 2024

By (Humanitarian Aid, Wellesley College) - abroad from 06/14/2024 to 08/04/2024 with

SIT Study Abroad: Jordan - Counseling & Humanitarian Action Internship

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about what an NGO truly is, how they work, the negative and positive obstacles or outcomes they produce, the refugee crisis in the Middle East, intercultural communication, and much much more that can only be learned through experience. It was most definitely worth-while.

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 learned a lot experientially and academically about public health, the refugee crisis in Jordan, history, politics, communication, and more.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The SIT building was very nice. The internship site building was comfortable and professional as well.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my home stay family

* Food:

Genuinely the best food I've ever had

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We had to culturally integrate with the people through activities, internship sites, and transportation.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

For those that needed health care addressed, they were addressed immediately.

* Safety:

High security measures

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I believe that this program would have been the only program that could have provided a fun, vacation-like aspect with experiential learning and classroom learning in Jordan and in the Middle-East. I also really appreciated how well-versed the professor (Professor Alqudah) is in his profession, in public health, politics and history of the Middle East, and even simply a figure to look up to. He's very accomplished and I look forward to someday being as knowledgeable and experienced as him.

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 needed more money for food sometimes, but I did just buy gifts and things to bring home, so I needed extra money for non-necessary items.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200 JD
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Not really, just try to stay within your budget and buy something if you really want it, not if you kind of want it. You probably will come across a cheaper alternative.

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 over 6 hours of Arabic classes

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? Elementary School level Arabic
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Duolingo

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?
  • The people that I met there
  • The great internships that were provided.
  • The things I learned
* What could be improved?
  • Length of internship
  • more arabic classes for those who are more advanced
  • N/A
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I read more about the refugee crisis in Jordan because it was a lot to take in. I wish I also knew better Arabic so I could've fully understood everything going on and integrate into society (although I was able to understand and communicate somewhat).