Do what you gotta Do Past Review
By Ryan C (Physics., Harvard University) for
Yarmouk University: Irbid - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes: my language skills improved immensely, and I became much more familiar with a culture that is extremely different from that of the U.S. and one that I knew very little about.
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. |
Grading was more strict than at Harvard. All of the classes were exclusively in Arabic. The classes required more speaking and dialogue in Arabic than my Arabic classes here. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The teachers and administrators were very positive and genuinely wanted to help the students. They were also extremely knowledgeable about the Arab World, our surroundings in Irbid, and our backgrounds in the United States. The administrators were professors from NYU and UVa. The program ran efficiently, especially considering the lack of efficiency that is usually characteristic of Jordan. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We got to live in large apartments with one other member of the program. The university in particular, but the city and country in general, were extremely safe. Other students didn't want to speak Arabic outside of class very often (i.e. we should have been speaking Arabic more in our apartments). The proximity to class and amenities was excellent. |
| * Food: |
Very cheap food, whether in the restaurants or in shops/grocery stores Best Restaurants: خرتوش مطعم اليمني مأكولات شرقية |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The two aforementioned field trips were great cultural experiences and a great opportunity to see some geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. Ramadan was very influential on my experience during the final 10 days of the program (most things were closed, invites to houses, etc...) |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I didn't run into any safety issues, but Jordan is known for its good healthcare, and there is a first-class hospital extremely close to the city. |
| 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? | $90 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buying food costs very little (approximately 3 American dollars per meal). The individual weekend trips were where the costs started to rise (hostels, round-trip transportation). Everything in isolation was extremely cheap, but providing for everything on the weekends became relatively expensive compared to the absurdly low cost of living in Irbid. Overall, the cost of living is extremely low. |
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 Bb (Second Year) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I had a Language Partner, who was a local Jordanian, with whom I spoke for approximately an hour per day. Most of the other American students spoke English outside of class, but I coaxed them into speaking Arabic as much as I could. I spoke with numerous people on the streets and in shops and restaurants in Arabic. Some people could handle English, but it was much easier to use Arabic. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You get out of it what you put into it: the classes are rigorous, but you can get by without much work if you want. The Arabic speakers are there, but you can get by speaking mostly English. If you attack the experience, though, you will improve so much. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Arabic Language Skills (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking) |
| Course Department: | ARAB 583 and ARAB 584 |
| Instructor: | Various |
| Instruction Language: | Arabic |
| Comments: | Great Course |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
