Some connections are beyond language. Past Review
By Rachel S (Second Language Studies, Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 02/01/2012 to 05/15/2012 with
SIT Study Abroad: Jordan - Modernization and Social Change
Beyond language and culture, that there are some things that transcend language, and you can feel at home in places where you don't understand what's being said. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
We had very good resources and activities/trips. Classes were good, though maybe not as intensive as expected. The final research project was challenging and rewarding. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very wonderful and helpful, though sometimes a bit disorganized (I think this was somewhat cultural). |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My family was very nice and welcoming, but not very active. |
| * Food: |
I miss the food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was no way for me to not be a foreigner, but people were very friendly, especially when they knew I was studying their language. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health problems on my part. |
| * Safety: |
Our program gave us very good safety information, and I generally felt quite safe. There were a few incidents that made me uncomfortable, but partly due to my program's instruction, nothing bad came of them. We had an administrator just for security. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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 was economical and carpooled and didn't drink, and had money left over from our allowance. The only reason I had to withdraw money was buying souvenirs. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Carpool in taxis, eat that country's equivalent of fast food, and don't drink. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Our program definitely encouraged us, and made sure we knew functional language use; we stuck to the language a lot in-class. My family mostly used English to communicate with me, though. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Arabic 300 |
| 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? | Use it with people, especially people you live with, from the start. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be extremely careful about baggage weight. |
