Middlebury in Jordan: Rough First Semester, Yet Still Wildly Rewarding Past Review
By Caitlyn D (Arabic, International Relations, Tufts University) for
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman
Yes! I think everyone should try to live abroad if given the chance. I loved getting to travel around the region, improve my Arabic, and get to know a quirky country like Jordan.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Pretty good balance of work and play, though I was a bit disappointed because I didn't feel as though the program was as intensive as it may have been advertised. Obviously Jordanian universities work very differently than American ones and its best for students to enter into the experience without many expectations. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sometimes there was an unfortunately hostile tone between the students and the program administration. I also would have liked more support and general guidance in the beginning stages of the program. Program size was ideal. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There was a bit of a snafu with housing at the beginning of the program which led to a situation where we were living with Americans out of necessity--not so great for language acquisition. I'd suggest a homestay for anyone participating in this program in the future. |
| * Food: |
Being a vegetarian can be a pain at times but I love Arab food so I was happy. Eating out or cooking vegetables is really cheap. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea were beautiful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Jordan is pretty safe. I had a rough experience at a hospital in a rural area but the ones near the capital are pretty nice. Mostly stomach issues came up. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I wish I had known about paying for utilities beforehand which turned out to be pretty expensive during the winter months. Build in lots of travel money if you plan to visit other countries. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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