A Fantastic Time June 05, 2025
By A student (Economics, Arabic, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/27/2025 to 05/31/2025 with
Study Abroad in Egypt at the American University in Cairo
I got really involved in the Economics Department at AUC which gave me a ton of guidance and networking. This alone could make my experience worthwhile. In general the cultural immersion and experiences I made was fantastic. The IPSO office at AUC also gave a lot of travel opportunities for students which I took advantage of.
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. |
Modern Standard Arabic was particularly of high quality. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Pretty disorganized. For example, at the end of the semester they did not notify me of the correct closing hours of the appropriate immigration office booth for gaining my re-entry visa passport (5pm instead of 6pm when the entire office closes) which caused me to miss my flight and I had to reschedule for another (luckily only $600+). In general students around me agreed that the planning was a little poor. However the staff are all really kind and nice people, so maybe it has more to do with the culture, and I enjoyed talking to the admin. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Super nice. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was great to be housed with a few local Egyptians. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I only had experience with the on-campus clinic and generally they were pretty nice to me and had resources for example when I needed first-aid or had food poisoning. Other students told me for more serious things, they only refer you to another place, which I guess is a bit unfortunate. One time I had an ingrown nail and they offered a surgical procedure to get rid of it and I politely declined. |
| * Safety: |
Downtown Cairo can be dangerous but the university felt pretty safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
All my expectations were met, I improved my Arabic a drastic bit, and I met really cool people. These connections will stay with me for a very long time. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20 USD |
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 |
We took a field trip with my Egyptian Dialect class which was super fun. |
| 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? | Arabic 30 (lower intermediate) |
| 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? | Talk with locals! |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | n/a |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
