Jordan: Surprise yourself Past Review
By A student (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/20/2013 to 05/16/2013 with
CIEE: Amman - Language and Culture
It was absolutely worthwhile, I learned so much about myself, my values, opinions I strongly held that radically changed. I gained a huge network of friends interested in the same thing and a broader perspective about life and human nature.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The modern standard arabic class was up to college standards with great teachers at every level; however, the colloquial teachers were generally sub-par and offered very little challenge or help. The area studies classes were mixed, some studetns picked good teachers and learned a lot; however, I felt like i learned very little in mine. Ask around from students from previous semester what teachers are the best. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CIEE was very well organized and did a wonderful job anticipating our needs and offering support. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment arranged for me was terrific. Great location, roomates, landlord, exposure. |
| * Food: |
I'm a vegetarian, which was challenging in a country that eats meat with every meal but it wasn't so bad. Just be prepared for a lot of pita and falafel. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Because I stayed in an apartment, I had much fewer cultural integration but the option to integrate myself more was there through peer tutors. It is still rather limited thoguh as foreigners particularly stick out in Jordan. Doing a home stay is extremely worthwhile if you want the most cultural interaction and exchange. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
My friend broke her ankle and i went with her to the hospital and I had an emergency ear infection that I went to the hospital for. Both experiences were questionable because of language barriers and general level of care. If you have medical issues that require consistent attention i would be wary of coming. |
| * Safety: |
Many people consider the middle east to be generally unsafe, but this is a complete misconception in Jordan. I felt very safe in amman once I got to know my surroundings. There is a lot more sexual harassment which was scary at first but you soon learn that it is harmless. It would be incredibly rare for someone to act on it and if they did, bystanders around you would come to your aid. However, outside of Amman things can get more dangerous as anti-american sentiment is much stronger. Just be mindful of where you are and pay attention to state department warnings. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Jordan is relatively inexpensive. It is cheaper to do a homestay because they feed you though. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 70$ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | take the mini-buses, dont waste money with taxis even though they are relatively cheap for the US |
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 |
I wasn't in the lagnuage intensive program which was good because i felt like I had more fun and better experiences than the kids who did and seemed limited by their program but at the same time I didn't use the language as much as I had hoped because many locals speak English. |
| 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 |
| 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? | Have a peer tutor you consistently meet with and make friends with locals your age at soccer, sports, hookah bars, act |
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? | The level of separation from locals that this program creates |
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! |
