Somewhere in Africa: magical days & incredible people Past Review
By A student (University of Pennsylvania) - abroad from 01/16/2016 to 05/14/2016 with
AMIDEAST Rabat - Area & Arabic Language Studies
lifelong friendships, language skills, street smarts, travel experience, global perspective, cultural knowledge, compassion, understandings. This being worthwhile is not even a question at this point. I'd do it all over again right now!
Review Photos
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. |
Varying degrees of rigor among classes, but the whole spectrum is certainly there. Resources were never an issue. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was flawless! Doha, Alex, and the rest of the team are a huge part of what made my experience as great as it ended up being. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had the sweetest, most caring host family -- always there to listen to our concerns, help with Arabic homework, or simply let us be if that was what we needed -- and I already have plans to go back and visit them! |
| * Food: |
Amazing food experience in Morocco! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This is #1 reason I feel I've gained so much from this trip -- it hasn't even been a month since the end of the program, and I'm already meeting up with some friends from Rabat again! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | $150 |
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 |
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| 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? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | ARAB 401 - independent study in MSA |
| 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? | Begin every conversation with a Moroccan in Arabic, from the very beginning. It may be harder to switch back to Arabic once you've already met a person and interacted with them in English. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 I could've realized how short 4 months really are -- I would've taken advantage of every minute in Rabat! |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
