Can't wait to go back! Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/27/2018 to 05/12/2018 with

SIT Study Abroad: Morocco - Migration and Transnational Identity

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Seeing as SIT does so much traveling, I was really able to see other parts of the country in a way that I didn't with my previous study abroad program. It left me wanting to see even more of Morocco and explore these on my own next time.

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.	Not as rigorous as home institutions are, but I think this allows for exploration and immersion which is probably the larger point of studying abroad. However, I do wish the language teaching would have been stronger as this is a large attraction and component of going abroad.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Program coordinator, Badrdine, did a great job of running this program. Very enthusiastic, responsible and charismatic.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I loved my living arrangement/home stay. However, for the students who had important and pressing issues in their respective home stays, the housing coordinator was not very helpful and the system seemed unprofessional.
* Food:	Great, for me.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Since the program is a center with only American students, and that's who you spend most of your time with, it's really hard to feel "integrated" in local culture. You have to go out of your way and make these connections by yourself it's something you seek.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	N/A.
* Safety:	I felt very safe, this could be due to the fact that I'm male and looked like many of the locals.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes Although the academic part of the program was not as challenging, the structure of the program exposed us to so much within those 4 months! I think it is a great program to try if you have never been abroad and ready to experience something new.

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 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?	Two semesters (fall/J term)
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?	You need to find other resources for language learning if this is your study abroad program. Maybe a local language partner to practice with? I had my host brother.

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 excursions, specifically Amsterdam Home stay component Food!
* What could be improved?	Language classes Pre-arrival communication Home stay coordinator support
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	It does not put you into touch with local students, you need to seek these connections out on your own.

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 Urbanite A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Migration and Transnational Identity
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Not challenging but there were field trips. I appreciated that it wasn't challenging because it gave us time to immerse ourselves in the city, in a way we wouldn't have done otherwise. In-class discussions were interesting and I think that's good enough.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	Intermediate High Arabic
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	Arabic?
Comments:	The course was not challenging, even though it should have been. This was probably the one course that should've had a better organized structure. I know many people went to the program looking to ameliorate their Arabic but the language teaching at SIT did not meet these expectations.
Credit Transfer Issues: