Past Review

By (Political Science and Government., Wellesley College) for

SIT Study Abroad: Morocco - Migration and Transnational Identity

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was worthwhile. Despite frustrations, it challenged me in new ways, helped me grow, and gave me more confidence to travel to different places around the world. I learned more about the Moroccan culture and people than I ever thought I would know, and I'm grateful for this experience. Plus I made some great friends while I was there, which is something I would not give up.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was education in the sense that I was living with a host family and learning about a culture different from my own, however the classroom component was horrendous. Honestly, these were some of the most disorganized classes I have ever experienced. I did not expect the academics to be as challenging as my home institution, but I did expect to get something out of them, and honestly I got very, very little out of them.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff is (for the most part) supportive and wants you to learn a lot about Morocco and have a good experience. That being said, I also ran into occasions, both personally and through others, where the onsite staff really did not help when a student needed help. Experiences varied, but I think the staff needed some more guidance about how to handle issues and needed to be more consistently supportive.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a house with a host mom and dad, brother and two sisters. We lived in the medina (the old part of the city.) <br /><br /> I loved my host family and had a really good experience. Others I know did not, but my host family was one of the things that made my program special. It was an excellent experience.

* Food:

The food was good for the most part, but got old after awhile. I recommend that students are open to new things and just expect to not have that much variety of food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had a lot of fun hanging out with my American friends on the program and hanging out with my host family. I also really liked traveling around Morocco. These

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I think that the staff could have done a better job supporting student health issues. Also, I felt safe for the most part but as a Western woman you really can't walk around past 8pm by yourself.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I spent less than 20 dollars. Most meals are provided and there really isn't that much to spend your money on.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? There are tons of things to buy as souvenirs in Morocco, so I recommend budgeting in a few hundred dollars for gifts and just things that you want to buy and take home.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Arabic101
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I wish I would have been tested more to speak the language. The homestay helped, but it would also have been nice to have more in-class time and supplemental study opportunities.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Go in with an open mind, be prepared for some frustratingly boring academics, but also be prepared to experience the culture and learn from everyday interactions with strangers, your host family, and other Americans on your program. It can be a good experience you just have figure out how you're going to make the most of it and have a good attitude. I saw a lot of people get bogged down with frustration, which is completely normal sometimes. Just don't let that be you're only attitude.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Independent Study Project

Course Department: ISPR3000
Instructor: Taieb Belghazi/Said Graiouid
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a more rewarding aspect of the academic experience because I got to conduct my own research on a topic of my choosing. I wish more time in-class had been devoted to preparing for this paper, but overall it was one of the better academic courses.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not that I know of.
Course Name/Rating:

Field Study Seminar

Course Department: ANTH 3500
Instructor: Said Griouid
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was also a bit of a joke. We made some field trips, but many times when we were sent out to go to visit organizations and do field study work it fell through or we couldn't find the organizations because of poor directions. Yes, this is part of the process of field study work but it happened too frequently to be excusable each time.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not that I know of.
Course Name/Rating:

Migration and Transnational Identity Seminar

Course Department: AFRS 3000
Instructor: Said Graiouid
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was not challenging, and to be honest with most of the courses it is hard to tell how separate they are. Often they just sort of flowed into one another. The professor obviously had knowledge in this area, but he wasn't very good at translating this knowledge to the students. I participated about the same.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not that I know of
Course Name/Rating:

Intensive Language Study: Moroccan Arabic

Course Department: ARAB 2000
Instructor: Hanane
Instruction Language: Darija/English
Comments: This was one of the better courses. It offered a good introduction into the language I just wish we would have had more instruction time. 2.5 hours was not enough. Also, it focuses exclusively on Darija (Moroccan Arabic) which is significantly different than Modern Standard Arabic.
Credit Transfer Issues: Not that I know of.