A wonderful experience that I would repeat in a heartbeat! Past Review
By A student (Texas A&M University - College Station) - abroad from 05/19/2017 to 07/25/2017 with
WorldStrides Study Abroad in Meknes, Morocco
To keep an open mind and constantly work to grow and learn. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The program was great. There was a lot of work, but I learned so much and the resources provided were plenty. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Iman, Younes, and Angel are wonderful people and are passionate about their jobs. They are meant to do those jobs. I loved them all. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Apartment was huge and beautiful. Also our "house mom" Khadijah was an angel sent from heaven. Incredibly sweet and an outstanding cook. She definitely deserves a raise for all of her love. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made lots of friends with locals while I was there, and the program actually introduced us to many of the local students which was great. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The only thing I have to comment on is cat-calling. If you are a girl, walking with a guy is always more pleasant. While the guys making comments at you are not normally physically aggressive, the comments decrease when walking with a guy friend, and I always felt safer even though nothing ever happened to me. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The staff, the classes, the environment, and the fellow students were all spectacular. I loved everything about this program. |
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) |
I spent about $25 a week while I was in Morocco but even that is really not necessary. I mostly spent it on eating out and coffee and that sort of thing. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $25-$40/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you don't eat out a ton or go out a ton, things in Morocco are very cheap and you shouldn't have a problem staying within a budget. |
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 |
Most people speak some english there but it is very helpful to know some french or pick up a few words in darijah. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| 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? | 400 level french |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | I wish that I hadn't gone in with expectations. Even though it wasn't worse or better than what I had imagined, it was different and took a bit of getting used to the real Morocco rather than the Morocco of my fantasies. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
