Morocco: Culturally rewarding, SIT: Think Twice Past Review
By Nicole S (Politics & Gov./International Studies, University of Hartford) for
SIT Study Abroad: Morocco - Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation
It was worthwhile because I had the chance to visit my great grandmother's grave. That however, is an entirely personal reason. I don't regret coming. However, I would have chosen a different program. I was not as all satisfied with the organization and academics that were offered.
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. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Nawal, the assistant coordinator, was a G-dsend! She was the most organized person the program had to offer and ran the entire thing. My biggest issue lay with the fact that we were told via documented E-mails that our visas would be renewed by the program since we would be here over the 90 day limit. The visas were not renewed and instead we are going to be given letters from our program to take the airport in hopes we do not get fined for staying over our visa expiration. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in the medina and therefore, was close to everything. Safety is an issue for women especially past nightfall. Sexual harassment on the streets is a MAJOR issue in Morocco. I was treated like family at my host family's home and it was a wonderful experience. I lived in an apartment during my independent study period with 2 friends from the program. The landlord tried to extort money from us after we had paid her fees. I also lived in various hotels during our excursions all of them were average to above average quality. |
| * Food: |
With the exception of food poisoning on 3 separate occasions, the food in Morocco is very good and very cheap. There are various street vendors in the Medina as well as a McDonald's, and Syrian and Lebanese restaurants a short walk outside the Medina. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The excursions were amazing especially the southern excursion. The Western Sahara experience was off the charts. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Safety issues were not at all well addressed or well taken care of. Students often found themselves on their own when being hospitalized, or getting sick. Safety is a growing concern and I was not comfortable walking outside past 9pm on my own. While I carry a hardened exterior, others who may not should reconsider the program. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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? | About $1000 is efficient for this experiences. It is about 8dh to the dollar and most everything is cheap. It also depends on your bargaining skills and how much you plan on spending on souvenirs. Plan to get ripped off and taken advantage of because you are a foreigner. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Anticipate medical expenses. YOU WILL GET SICK AT LEAST ONCE. Medical expenses such as clinic, doctor, specialist, and prescription costs are out of pocket and the international insurance you paid for is of no use to you when you're actually here. My computer also shut down and cost me about 700dh to fix (about $90) Expect to spend money on communication such as cell phone, cell phone charge cards, and internet stick/cafe as well as taxis and trains. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I was taught to read and write in Arabic and I used my skills in everyday communication with locals who did not speak English. My host father spoke English so I wasn't practicing as much at home. The classwork was challenging but the teacher was unqualified and was simply a native speaker rather than a licensed teacher. He also graded on his own system aside from that which was specified in the program curriculum. I would have liked to have seen more visual learning. |
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 |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would encourage them to look into other programs that offer similar excursions. This program is for a student who isn't concerned with his/her academics and is looking solely for a cultural experience. |
