Immersive and Exciting Morocco Experience! January 27, 2022
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/12/2021 to 12/14/2021 with
SIT Study Abroad: Morocco - Human Rights, Social Justice, and Cultural Transformation
I learned so much from this experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in human rights or social justice issues and learning Arabic. We were also able to conduct our own research which was so immersive and educational.
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. |
The academics for this program were great! I loved the field-based and experiential format. A lot of the learning we did was through travel, visiting NGOs and talking to academics/activists! This program is very Arabic intensive though! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt very supported by SIT staff and teachers in country. They were always accessible if we needed anything. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Because of COVID, we were in hotel arrangements for the semester. This obviously wasn't as immersive as living with a host family but it was still great and I got to spend a lot of time with other students. |
| * Food: |
Moroccan food is the best ever. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very at home in Rabat- it is a very accessible city and the people are incredibly hospitable. The language was definitely challenging but it was amazing to be able to see my Arabic abilities get better over the course of the semester. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
As a woman, I had to be cognizant of walking around alone or at night. I always felt more comfortable walking in groups. Street harassment is definitely an issue that you will deal with. |
| 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) |
Morocco is an extremely cheap place to live compared to the U.S. You can eat for a few dollars. In addition, transportation and accommodation are very affordable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
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 |
This program was very immersive with language. We spent three hours a day learning Arabic and we were always encouraged to practice outside of class. |
| 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? | Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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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| 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? | One thing about this program to know is that it is super language heavy! We spent three hours every day learning Arabic. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
