An Incredible 4 Months in Morocco Past Review
By Charlotte K (Political Science and Government, Emory University) - abroad from 01/27/2019 to 05/11/2019 with
SIT Study Abroad: Morocco - Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation
It was definitely a worthwhile experience! My Arabic skills improved so so much, way more than I could have predicted. I loved Rabat and being able to conduct an internship in my last month.
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 educational experience was great. The emphasis was on experiential learning which involved a lot of field work in different areas of Morocco. The experiential learning elements allowed us to both practice our Arabic while also learning more in depth about human rights in Morocco. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site administration team really made our experience a lot easier. The team was available for our phone calls and questions and made sure we knew we had people looking out for us at all times. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really liked living with a host family. It added yet another element to the experiential learning aspect of our program. Make sure to really think about what aspects of a living arrangement are most important to you and fill out your host family survey very very honestly. I loved my family and had everything I asked for on my survey. |
| * Food: |
Meals at school and at home were good. It was also really fun to try Moroccan cuisine at local restaurants. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living in a homestay really expedited the process of integrating with the local culture. As a woman, however, there will be elements of Moroccan culture that you won't be able to participate in. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was lucky enough not to have any health issues on the trip, but the program addressed the issues of my colleagues very quickly. |
| * Safety: |
There were instances of theft on our trip and there were also reports of terrorism in Rabat in our couple of weeks. The program was always very quick in their responses and made us feel reassured at all times. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
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 |
|
| 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? | Intermediate (200) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | 0 |
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? | How important the home stay survey is. Some people had uncomfortable home stay experiences. |
