An ideal place for a Middle Eastern Studies major Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

In general, my Arabic classes are fantastic, and I'm learning a lot more because they are held 4 times a week compared to twice a week back home. However, I'm also in two non-Arabic classes, and the workload (and the quality, to a certain extent) is a lot less than what I am used to.

On-site administration of your program

Since I was directly enrolled, I dealt directly with the administration at AUC. The advisers in the International Programs Office were not particularly helpful, and dealing with anything administrative was a pain since they send you around to a dozen different offices before you get what you need. However, to a certain extent the inefficiency is just a cultural difference. It's easy to get things done if you're willing to be persistent.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The AUC dorm is located in Zamalek, which is an hour bus ride from the new campus. Despite the inconvenience, it has a good location near downtown Cairo. There is also the option to live in the dorms on the campus in New Cairo, but the suburb is still developing and for now feels like it's pretty much out in the middle of nowhere.

There are no kitchens in the dorms, and not even a communal fridge or microwave. This wasn't really a problem financially since food is so cheap here, but it gets to be unhealthy, and inconvenient, to eat falafel and koshary for every meal.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

AUC offered trips to places around Cairo in the beginning, which was a good way to meet people. I also went on an AUC trip to Luxor and Aswan, which I'd also recommend. I felt comfortable planning my own trips with other students after the first couple weeks, but it was nice to have it taken care of in the beginning.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Thankfully I haven't had any major health issues here, but the health care system is not up to par with what it is back home. Stomach issues are the major thing to watch out for here, but there's a clinic in the dorm and plenty of pharmacies to get medicine if you need it. Sexual harassment is a big problem in Egypt if you're a girl, and it's usually in the form of stares or rude comments. However, as annoying as it is, I never particularly felt unsafe. There are a lot of police on Cairo's streets, so the actual crime rate is relatively low.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I never used Arabic outside my Arabic classes at AUC since all the Egyptians there speak English. I mostly spoke Arabic with taxi drivers, waiters, people I asked for directions, etc. A lot of people in Cairo speak English, but I still found myself using Arabic more than I expected to.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students
• International Students
• Americans