Irbid, Jordan: A Small Town for Students with Big Language Goals Past Review
By Emily J (Comparative Religion, Harvard University) for
Yarmouk University: Irbid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
absolutely! I am no longer afraid/embarrassed to speak in Arabic to native speakers (before I would be afraid of flopping), and I feel I've become a much better traveler... as well, I am a religion major, so traveling to Israel was a lifechanging experience in that it validated my interest and sparked my passion
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. |
it was very similar to an American educational system as far as teaching/planning materials and tests |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
the trips that are organized and carried out by the program are very fun... as well, it allows for travel outside the country (I went to Israel, other students went to Lebanon as well as Egypt)--this is forbidden by some study abroad programs in the middle east |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
no nightlife! there was no air-conditioning in our living spaces, and they were very very hot (sometimes necessary to shower 4-5 times a day just to stay cool/wash off sweat), also even though we did our best to keep apartments clean, there were cockroaches |
| * Food: |
there's an incredible shawarma place down the street at the turnabout that I recommend to everyone! I became a regular |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
the trips to Petra and Aqaba as well as the week provided for a travel break were wonderful! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe throughout the program--Dr. Sawaie has a connection to a pharmacy in town and was always willing to contact his family if anyone needed medical services, as well, the facility on campus was accessible and free |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | this is hard to say... I didn't do a great job of budgeting and ended up running out of money during/after my week in Israel and had to get more wired to me from home |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | traveling in Israel was VERY expensive, but I wouldn't take it back for the world |
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? | Arabic A (full year) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
language partners were available, almost everyone spoke very little English (entirely Arabic)...as well, all signs were in Arabic |
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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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? | you'll get what you put into this program! |
