Less than I expected Past Review
By yasmine x (pre-law, University of Texas - Arlington) - abroad from 02/02/2011 to 06/15/2011 with
University of Jordan: Amman - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Colloquial Arabic improved! Amman was great, the program was not.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
None of the classes were taught in English (they will tell you that they are, since it is university policy to teach in English) but they are NOT. Arabic courses were constantly cancelled by the teacher/director. Not worth it. Waste of money. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
ISA has the absolute WORST staff on-site. The Resident director, Mohammad Naser, was incompetent. Yes, he spoke English. But he was completely negligent of the students in the country at the time. After we arrived, he helped us out some, but cancelled many of our excursions (trips to sites around Jordan), cancelled MANY of our Arabic classes, & didn't even take us to the airport! He had a driver take us there, who didn't speak English, & just dropped us off outside of the airport. The entire semester of our stay, Mohammad Naser was 'busy' planning for the next group coming the following semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living situation was ridiculous, we had a curfew, couldn't have guests over, & had many other restrictions. |
| * Food: |
Food in certain areas of Amman was inexpensive & delicious. It's easy to go out to eat multiple times a week, so that you don't have to cook at home. |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
Stay in groups/with another person as much as you can when out on the town. Female students: Be careful around the resident director in Jordan-never visit his office alone. Behavior is highly inappropriate. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-150 |
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 |
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| 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? | 2 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Make friends with your classmates |
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 undeveloped & poor the program was. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
