Unforgettable experience Past Review
By fatima youssef (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/22/2017 to 05/26/2017 with
Study Arabic at The American University in Cairo
I learned how to be in a compeleltey different environment that I am used to and comfortable in. I learned how to get accustomed to a different lifestyle and it taught me so many things about myself and my potential as well as the people I met
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I feel like the program itself is a lot smaller because of the number of people currently going to the Middle East so I feel like the teachers should try meeting with the students one on one to talk about how they feel about the classes. there were times that I felt I was at a different level than other students but didn't want to say anything because I felt shy |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It was good, but they did not help me really because I registered as an egyptian even though i was counted as study abroad and an international student |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
yes housing was great |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had confusion with the healthcare and I was not informed that the housing on campus provided healthcare, if I would have known this information I would have taken a different course of action |
| * Safety: |
theISO and study abroad contacted me anytime anything happened in Egypt that was alarming |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I really enjoyed the langague program. It was my favorite semester academically because I was so excited to go to class today knowing I would learn something new on a subject I loved. I also enjoyed the teachers and the program itself because it was intensive and the material to me was extremely relevant. We read the news and had disucssions about modern day societies and listened to documentaries |
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) |
It is hard to really calculate because I had some problems with tuition and knowing the exact rate. Also the transportation is hard because I lived on campus so uber was expensive . also the dollar kept changing when i first arrived |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | `$100-150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | yes, I would suggest being aware of EVERYTHING the university has to offer and also what it doesn't have to offer. I would also suggest riding the bus as much as possible if you are trying to leave campus for any reason even though it isn't convient with the return schedule |
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 |
they always encouraged me to speak the language and the teachers were very motivating |
| 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 |
| 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 go to office hours as much as possible and get a private tutor on the side. I wish I would have gotten a private tutor because even though it is from my own money, it would have been worth the amount of progress I would have made and been worth every penny. Not only does it make this clearer for the student but it helps tremendously in terms of learning a language |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | how far the campus is from downtown and basically all of Cairo and how the transporation is limited to the buses and a certain schedule. But the bus schedule does not have returns after 5 pm |
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.' |
