Changed my Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Middlebury is an extremely intense learning experience that is most strongly felt outside the classroom.

On-site administration of your program

The administration were some of the nicest, funnest, most interesting people I've ever met. They were extremely responsive to student needs. While maintaining professionalism, they really took the time to get to know me on a personal level and gave me as much space and support as I needed.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The host family situation is very important to the program. Unfortunately, my relationship with my hosts was not as close as I would have liked. They were very nice, but I always felt like a guest rather than one of the family.

Incredible. Fantastic. I just wanted to eat all the time.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Obviously, I never felt like a Jordanian. I could live the rest of my life there and still be a foreigner. Yet I, like the other expats living in Amman, found a comfortable place surrounded by the culture. I did not live like a local but I interacted with them and began to understand their lifestyle and world view. Also, the concept of feeling integrated into Arab/Jordanian culture is weird, given that I was an American of European descent living in a region my forefathers colonized, and that my country continues to interfere with politically. I could move to France and live like a French person and feel totally integrated, in a way that I never could in Jordan.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues

Jordan is an extremely stable country. In a tumultuous region, the counter-terrorism mechanisms are by necessity extremely strong. The government and military have a firm grip on the population and civil unrest is minimal. That said, the program is extremely vigilant about any possible dangers. For example, I was in Amman when Trump announced his decision to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. There were large-scale peaceful demonstrations all over Amman and Jordan, not to mention the riots in the West Bank just across the border. The program was very communicative about safety measures and there were no problems. When explaining to my nervous family why they should let me go to Jordan, it was enough to point out that terrorists attacks are as likely, if not more so, in Europe than Jordan. A note that if you're not a straight, white, gentile, cis man, there are additional safety risks that the Travel Safety warning does not include. Do your research.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Middlebury has a language pledge. We pledge to use nothing but Arabic all day every day (except in emergencies obviously).

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• Host Family

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• Americans

• Language Pledge
• Middlebury Team
• Excursions

• My experience with my host family didn't go so well