Incredible! Words won't do this experience justice Past Review
By Audrey Ali (Oregon State University) - abroad from 01/31/2016 to 05/14/2016 with
SIT Study Abroad: Morocco - Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation
. The most important thing I learned while abroad was how to interact with and integrate into another culture. Living in a different country where I didn’t speak the native language taught me about my own strengths and weaknesses. I became aware of my own capabilities as I pushed myself into unfamiliar places and situations. My experience was most definitely worthwhile, and I plan on going back to Morocco in the near future.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Arabic classes were quite intense with about 3 hours of class every day. My language skills definitely improved in the 9 weeks of language courses. There is not a lot of traditional homework in the multicultural class, rather the class allowed students to reflect on experiences in Morocco and gave them the opportunity to conduct fieldwork and visit NGOs. I felt that this class gave me one-of-a- kind, first-hand, research skills and also allowed me to interact with Moroccans. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site staff at CCCL were excellent. They are honestly the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They were easy to engage with, and were always available to help. I will definitely stay in touch with them in the future. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My personal living arrangements were very good. I liked that I had my own space in the house, however I know that others in the program didn’t have much personal space. Also, I was fortunate enough to have Wi-Fi in my house, but I know that others did not have this, so they were forced to go to cafes and other places to use Wi-Fi. |
| * Food: |
I loved the Moroccan food, the tajines were always delicious and I loved all the different breads. Other types of food such as sushi, central African food, and pizza, were available around the city. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
By the middle of the program I felt very integrated into the local culture. I felt comfortable doing tasks on my own and engaging with others on the street. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
health care was easily accessible while in the city. There were clinics in most neighborhoods and were clean, however, the clinics were busy and the wait was long. In my experience the doctor did not explain his diagnosis or my prescriptions, but whatever he did worked and got rid of my parasite. Our program assistant went with me to the clinic and waited 3 hours with me even though she had to commute back to her house an hour away. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Rabat and felt comfortable approaching people if I needed help. As a women, I did feel uncomfortable walking alone at night, but I wouldn’t recommend doing that in any foreign country. At times there were problems with street harassment, but I never felt threatened and other people on the street would help you if they saw you were scared or looked uncomfortable. I never had any problems with theft or pick-pocketing. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I thought that the program was a perfect fit for me. I really enjoyed the research and fieldwork components of the program, and I see these as very valuable experiences to have been done abroad. All of the people in the program, including the CCCL staff and the other students, were great company and I made friendships that I’m sure will last for a long time. I thought the experience with my host family was an invaluable experience and I am happy that I was able to connect with my family and create a lasting relationship with them. |
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) |
Morocco is very affordable! My friends and I went out to eat at least 3 or 4 times a week. You could sandwiches from everywhere from 30 cents to $2 USD. If you went to a nice local restaurant you could have a full meal including an entrée and dessert for $10 USD. Buying produce or snacks from the street market or from the store would only cost a few dollars. I was able to buy gifts for all my family and friends because they were very affordable. Our gym membership was $25-$50 a month, but there were cheaper options as well. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You can make your own food if you want and this is a good way to save money. |
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 |
During the Arabic classes we were only allowed to use Arabic and were encouraged to use the language outside of class to complete assignments. |
| 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? | First Year Arabic |
| 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? | I would suggest that students try to use as much Arabic as possible with their homestay families even though it can be easy to use other languages such as English or French. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | I wish did more research about Morocco before I left because I think it would gave me a better understanding of the culture. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
