Jordan: my gateway to another world Past Review
By Katherine N (PSYCHOLOGY., Wellesley College) for
SIT Study Abroad: Jordan - Modernization and Social Change
I gained a lot more confidence in traveling, conducting field research, and speaking Arabic. I definitely want to live/work in the Middle East in the future.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | - |
| 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. |
The experiential learning aspect of the program was the most valuable educational aspect for me. The workload was much less than what I experience at my home institute, but it was appropriate considering that significant experiential learning is occurring outside the classroom. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program administrators were extremely accessible and supportive to students, always tried to respond to students' requests as soon as possible. Their knowledge about the host country was impeccable as the staff were all local. The program met my expectations for SITs reputation for creating a close community learning environment. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
As a vegetarian I found it was slightly more difficult to maintain this diet in Jordan, but SIT was great about placing me with a family that was understanding of my dietary choices. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went everywhere with the program - all over the country and on an out of country excursion. Although we couldn't travel to Egypt, the program created a new excursion for us to Oman. The most memorable trip with the program was to Petra. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt threatened in my host city or on the program. I would advise students to use their common sense and follow basic travel/city precautions. The program always responded promptly to students' health concerns and care was comparable to that in the States. Very few vaccines are required for Jordan. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Between $100-$200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | SIT gives students a stipend each week which is extremely helpful in budgeting. In general, budgeting on the higher end will help students avoid running out of money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We were able to practice Arabic with our host families and student language buddies. We generally needed to speak Arabic in daily interactions. I felt that my confidence in speaking Arabic improved, but not necessarily my vocabulary or grammar. |
| 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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program is great for students' going abroad for the first time because it provides so much support. |
