Marhaban Bikuum (welcome all)!!!!!! Past Review
By Dustin D (Humanities, Western Washington University) - abroad from 08/28/2012 to 12/15/2012 with
ISA Study Abroad in Meknes, Morocco
I made significant progress in Arabic, and in French even though I didn't take any French courses. I made lasting friendships with people from all over the world. I gained a sense of place in the world. I gained a whole new appreciation for the USA. It was definitely worthwhile. I must go back!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some classes were almost too easy. Still challenging especially when there was a language barrier. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Daniel Ostad is great. Everyone loves him. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My place was the exception to the rule. All the other apartments were great. Mine was falling apart though. |
| * Food: |
Moroccan food is the bomb! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't put forth too much of an effort until the very end. That's probably my biggest regret. It was just too easy with such a large group of americans to just hang out with them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got sick a few times and the program staff were very supportive. Since medicine is easily accessible they went and bought medicine for me at the pharmacies and I was able to recover really easily. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt personally in danger, but I did see a guy get mugged. Thankfully the whole neighborhood swarmed the mugger and got the old man's things back to him :) |
| 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) |
Morocco is very cheap. If I didn't spring for trips to Madrid and Paris I'd still have about a thousand dollars left. As it is I'm down to my last hundred :( |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around ten dollars on average. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Learn how to haggle from local moroccan friends so that you know what a good deal actually is. Also, make sure you have cheap places to stay if you decide to travel to Europe. |
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 |
They had a million and one opportunities for you to learn Arabic |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 203 of french. |
| 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? | Don't hold up in your apartment. It's tempting because the other americans are easy to talk to, but get out there and make some friends. They're eager to share with you, and want to learn from you. |
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 had known that the universities there don't have gyms or libraries with wifi and stuff like that. I had to get a gym membership. Also the apartments don't have desks so it's hard to find a place to do school work. Just be prepared for the campus to just be a place where classes take place. Well, the students hang out there all day, and there was the occasional demonstration about Syria and whatnot. Mostly the library thing. That made studying pretty hard. |
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. |
