I'll be back Past Review
By Micki C (Civil Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology) - abroad from 06/15/2015 to 08/12/2015 with
AMIDEAST: Rabat - Summer Intensive Arabic
Definitely worthwhile, I learned more about the world around me and more about a whole new culture as well as the language.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Professors and student program coordinator knew what they were doing and were highly-educated as well as motivated to teach us. They were equally as curious as we were in learning new things from us as we are from them. They all have fun characters and had great |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
At times, the on-site administration seemed a bit unorganized communication-wise, but the student counselor/coordination was great at doing her job! |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Family was lovely and respected my personal time and space(sometimes a little too much). They taught about how they lived and how moroccans enjoy their time. |
| * Food: |
Throughout Ramadan, Iftar was always the highlight of my day. I tried the food everywhere and it was all worth it. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I got pretty accustomed to life in Morocco, however I could never really not be a foreigner so I still got the disadvantages of being foreigner in all the places I visited. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Within 48 I had a check-up, diagnosis, and medication ready for me. Health was taken care of very well. |
| * Safety: |
I generally felt safe in my neighborhood, but I did have some friends/classmate who didn't experience I very safe day or two. Always stay on guard. |
| 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) |
5 = very easily/minimal cost Of course this vary by person and how they choose to live. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | For Morocco, fancy restaurants tend to be expensive, unless you find something you really like in them, stick to smaller business which tend to be cheaper and better. |
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 |
5, we took a pledge to speak only in Arabic all day. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | None |
| 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? | Just keep practicing it, even if you mess up. The embarrassment will help you remember your mistakes for the next time. |
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 loved everything I learned, I'm glad I didn't know that much because it gave me so much more room to learn about the country. |
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. |
