this experience will change you for the better Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload is pretty easy, although I only took some basic classes in Arabic and an Intro class. My friends had the same feeling for their other classes. The main problem is that most of the students at AUC don't seem to care about doing work and so it's hard for you to care, also.

On-site administration of your program

It was ok. I did not use it much.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was unaware that you had to live in the dorms, which are not that great. You can find much cheaper housing elsewhere. You can even find cheaper housing in the same area of the dorms, which is good for making friends who are in the dorms. Also, the rules in the dorms frustrated people often. Make sure to live in Zamalek dorms and not on campus. It's much better.

AUC does not have meal plans. Instead, you have to go out and eat all the time. Also, because you are in a dorm, you can't really cook for yourself. However, you can get a small fridge for the semester and that comes in handy for snacks and some other foods. In Zamalek near the dorms, there are plenty of fool and falafel places, a restaurant with Shisha called Goal, and a cheap place called Alex Top. There are also plenty of fast food chains and more expensive restaurants. Finally, something to note is that almost everything delivers! Try: otlob.com.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did not really attend most of the field trips and other events done by AUC, but I would recommend going to some of them. However, it is possible to do some of these same trips for less money than AUC charges you. Keep that in mind.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Cairo is a very safe city, much safer than New York City. The area around the dorms, especially, is very safe. However, I am a guy. The story is very different for women and I would advice a lot of caution for women traveling to Egypt. Again, it is a very safe city but too often I've heard stories of women getting sexually harassed. This includes hissing noises, comments on the street, suggestive gestures, flashing, and sometimes touching inappropriately. Another important note is phone harassment. Be careful who you give your phone number to because they might keep calling you repeatedly and possibly harassing you. For other health concerns I would add that you might get sick once in a while, but you quickly recover. Don't be afraid to try the street food! Also, the tap water seems safe enough to drink if you slowly get used it, but it is chlorinated. There are, though, cheap bottles of water everywhere.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Study a lot. Also, go out and speak to people in broken English/Arabic. Sometimes taxi drivers will talk to you for the whole ride. The best thing to do is to take the Colloquial Arabic class; it's way more useful in Egypt than the MSA class.

Select all that apply

• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• International Students
• Americans