Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Seemed like a good program but I wasn't ready Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/02/2019 to 12/18/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Amman

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
As bad as it went for me, I can at least say that I can learn from my mistakes and hopefully be better prepared mentally for this program.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

For physical needs health care was adequate. By nature of the program and its location mental health was not as high quality as it could be, though this is mostly out of the control of the program staff.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I have been burned out from doing Middle Eastern Studies because of personal issues stemming from not only this study abroad program, but also underlying mental health issues.

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)

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

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? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Arabic 300 level course
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Staff were willing to help me to the best of their ability
  • Host family was really nice
* What could be improved?
  • Not sure to be honest, it's hard to comment when my experience was colored by my own personal issues
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How exhausting it can be and how much it can wear on you if you're not prepared

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 Linguist
You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Modern Standard Arabic High I (3)
Course Department: Arabic
Instructor: Khetam al-Wazzan
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: This course was extremely challenging because of the extra effort needed to understand materials that would otherwise be very graspable in English due to the high level of MSA required. The instructor was exceptional in making the content engaging and interesting. I did not participate as much due to personal issues.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issue with transfer credit
Course Name/Rating:

Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
Course Department: IGST
Instructor: Peter Stavros
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: This course was challenging, especially in trying to balance the necessity of some content to be in English (immigration documents for example) and to fulfill immersion in the Arabic language. Peter was a good instructor and was fairly well prepared for his lessons. Did not participate as well due to personal issues.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issue with credit transfer
Course Name/Rating:

Accelerated Intro to Jordanian Arabic
Course Department: Arabic
Instructor: Dalal al-Assaf
Instruction Language: Arabic
Comments: The class could be challenging when delving into societal issues and trying to express them solely in Arabic. The instructor did her best to tailor lessons on an individual basis, which was especially helpful since this class only had a few students in it. I did not participate as much in this class due to personal issues unrelated to the class.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues with credit transfer.