Amazing Immersive Beautiful Past Review
By Sarah Woods (Davidson College) - abroad from 01/25/2020 to 12/17/2020 with
American University of Beirut: Beirut - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to live in a country that was in the midst of an uprising. I made lifelong friends and ate amazing food. I also learned Lebanese Arabic and fell in love with the city.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned more in Beirut through hands-on experience than I ever would in a regular class room. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
AUB handled everything very well and made me feel very safe. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Off-campus housing was very manageable. |
| * Food: |
Beirut has the best food on the planet |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had to find my place and make sure I wasn't inserting myself into inappropriate situations, but I loved the culture and the people. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
HIP was extremely helpful, but it was hard to find out how to activate my insurance. |
| * Safety: |
During my abroad experience, protests broke out in Lebanon, but I felt very safe the whole time. |
| 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) |
Very financially possible |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200-300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to find an apartment with an oven and cook your meals. Also, don't buy lattes everywhere. Get local food. |
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? | 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? | 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 to taxi drivers and restaurant owners! |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? |
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? | I could do a whole year |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
