The journey to cultural immersion Past Review
By Mark J (Middlebury College) - abroad from 08/29/2016 to 05/26/2017 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury In Rabat, Morocco
it was very hard but worthwhile. I did not learn only to speak a language or facts about a foreign country, I understood a completely different culture.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
very academically rigorous, but extremely rewarding. Resources were not the very best they could be but this is also understandable since it was the first year of the program. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
the director and coordinator of the program were constantly alert and followed students closely. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
satisfied, although did have some problems with the host families. This is not a fault of the program I feel and more with specifics of the host families |
| * Food: |
food was good, and host families cared about cooking. One of the host families I stayed with however would not cook enough food at times. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I think the program tries to get students involved in the culture but at times there can be a feeling of being secluded from the culture as academics can take a toll and you're studying with international students all the time, not Moroccans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
language skills and knowledge about the local country increased vastly, the program was very rigorous but the results are incredible. |
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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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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Arabic 302 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | try to blend in as much as possible with locals, and not with other students in the program |
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? | Morocco is a completely different country from any western country, which can come with various challenges. The important thing is to come in with an open mind and be ready to adapt, or your experience will be even more challenging. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Modern standard Arabic |
| Course Department: | Arabic |
| Instructor: | Hafida Socarno |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | it was challenging and learned a lot as well. The instructor also managed to make the course interesting the entire semester |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Moroccan Arabic |
| Course Department: | Arabic |
| Instructor: | Rim Charida |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | challenging and rewarding. Professor worked constantly to make the class useful and interesting, and found a balance between reviewing old material and yet learning plenty of new material |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Anthropology of the Maghreb |
| Course Department: | Sociology |
| Instructor: | abdelmounim Choqairi |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | full of informations and facts about the anthropological reality of Morocco, but the professor did not make the lectures too interesting |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of the Maghreb |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Zakaria Boudhim |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | interesting course and good professor. Perhaps the material was lacking in that the professor was absent various times which lead to the course falling short of the amount it was supposed to cover |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
