Program Reviews

Studying in Rio is an opportunity that not many get. Niterói has so much to offer and provides students with complete cultural and linguistic immersion. The program is coordinated in a way that bolsters this kind of immersive learning environment, but also giving a small liberal arts college feel during the linguistic competency course. Overall, UFF has a wide selection of classes available, and the Gragoatá campus is gorgeous! Students and professors are very helpful and understanding of the fact that you are an international student.

I was in Morocco for the entire academic year and it was run very well, especially since it was only the first year of the program. The coordinator and director of the program make sure that the host families and apartments are in line, and academics are very well handled, as they are rigorous and the professors chosen are capable of explaining material in Arabic to non native speakers. The director and coordinator are very responsive to students' needs and are very personable; I did not feel alone because of them. The program was not perfect, as sometimes there were some scheduling issues with tests and some issues with some professors, but considering that it was the first year of the program it was very well run.

The program was great for language learning abilities. It required us to speak Chinese at all times, so it really helped me learn Chinese and learn how to live in a non-Western city. However, the dorm life was challenging, and although it helped me navigate a campus, I did not get close with my roommate. I would have liked to have opportunities to acclimate more with the campus community. The professors were amazing and really cared about us.

As a language intensive, Middlebury China is probably one of the most challenging college level programs out there. Many of my peers felt the workload was often a little overwhelming, as we had to study a new Chinese lesson every two days. Although it says you are eligible to go on this program with two years of college level Chinese, it is strongly recommended that you partake in a summer intensive beforehand. The language pledge is taken quite seriously by most people, and everyone in the program my semester improved their Chinese greatly.
The teachers and staff on site are all friendly and extremely helpful, especially Lili, one of the main program coordinators.
The college is located in the cultural center of Kunming, and has many places you can walk or take a bus to quite easily.

Classes at UC3M are less engaging/intense than classes in the US, but the language pledge for Middlebury Schools Abroad will ensure you really learn the host country's language. In addition to the 3 classes at UC3M, students take a language class through Midd at the Sede Prim, which is very good. This program gives you a fair amount of independence. As a computer science student, I was able to take some classes in Logroño, but it was kind of a pain to have classes in 3 different places so if that sounds like you, try the other Middlebury in Madrid program at UAM

I studied in Rabat one semester after the program started in Fall, 2017 and was beyond impressed by how well-run and organized the program was. The two program directors make themselves very accessible: they're fun, attentive, and very serious about what they do. The program is full immersion, meaning all your classes are in Arabic. Despite misunderstandings with one of my professors, I felt culturally and linguistically comfortable in my classes, all of which I took with other Americans.

One major misconception about studying in Morocco is that learning Darija is impossible and ultimately useless if you'd like to end up in the Middle East. I do consider Darija challenging, but you can get around Morocco easily with MSA and, in the end, this experience is only one year (or semester) of your Arabic-learning adventure out of maybe 10 if your goal is to become fluent.

I loved my host family and still talk to them often. Hospitality is very important in Morocco, and my host family made an effort to include me in their parties and group outings while still giving me space. Not everyone felt the same--it's kind of a matter of luck--but you can talk to the program directors if you feel that you and your host family aren't a great match.

I really enjoyed living in Rabat. It's a small, safe city that has a growing art and youth culture (still small), and scenic, un-touristy neighborhoods. Traveling in Morocco is super easy and cheap--a train ticket to Marrakesh costs $12 and the trip takes three hours. Pretty beach towns are only about an hour away. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and would recommend the program to anyone looking to improve their Arabic.

I had a really wonderful time studying abroad in Amman with the Middlebury program. I loved traveling around the country and exploring different parts of Jordan outside of the capital. I enjoyed meeting friends from the University of Jordan as well as other students on the program. I wasn't proficient at Arabic when I first arrived in Jordan but improved tremendously over the course of the semester, largely with the help of my professors and the program staff and my host family and friends. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to live in a beautiful and fascinating country the Middle East for a semester! I only wish I had stayed longer.

The Middlebury school in Jordan is a fantastic way to learn Arabic and get immersed in Amman! The capital of Jordan isn't a hub for partying or getting lit, but it supplies an incredibly deep and comprehensive view of international aid or security work in the region. Amman has an active ex=pat community, and the intrepid student can meet both locals and foreigners working on the hottest middle east issues of our time. Note that in order to truly enjoy your time on the Middlebury program, you have to really put yourself out there. If you make the most of your opportunities for mentorship, community engagement, and much more, you can find a real space for yourself in this global hub of social change!

I would recommend this program to people dedicated to improving their Chinese language skills, and/or interested in carrying out an individual research project in Chinese. The academics are manageable but perhaps relatively rigorous compared to other study abroad programs. Kunming is a great city, and the province of Yunnan is beautiful: mountainous, good air quality, amazing rice fields. I loved that the program offered lots of opportunity for and encouraged travel, which was relatively easy and affordable to do within and around China. Something special about my experience was that I joined a pick-up ultimate frisbee team based out of Kunming that was composed of some American ex-pats and some locals. I played with them once a week and even went to a few tournaments with them around the country. It was a really unique and fun experience for me to be introduced to the frisbee culture in China! It also helped with my language skills to spend so much time with locals.

Super amazing program, super dedicated/supportive teachers and staff, flexible curriculum, diverse options and activities. The program plans city exploration activities for students every week. Every experience was wonderful. We had one-on-one classes in which we could study any topic we choose. My language improved a lot thanks to the program's language intensity. Amazing housing; we lived in a hotel basically. Our roommates were local college students & we developed great friendships. The program also helped me find a internship, which expanded my professional interests in China too. I have learned and grown so much. Transformative semester.