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Program
Ratings
Overall
5
Academics: 5
Support: 5
Fun: 4
Housing: 5
Safety: 5
Review

This was my third time in Jordan, having spent the previous two summers studying Arabic with another program. I think what I enjoyed most about CET was that I learned A LOT more about Jordanian culture-- something I previously thought I knew a lot about! The teachers and staff are really friendly and helpful. It's also great for people new to the region because upon arrival they pick you up from the airport and give you a SIM card with a Jordanian data and calling plan pre-loaded for a month. The apartments were clean and spacious. The neighborhood (al-Jubeiha) is nice, but boring. You have to take a taxi to get to the more lively areas of Amman, but it's cheap if you're splitting the fare with a person or two. The apartments are about a 10-15 minute walk to campus, which is convenient.

As far as academics, this was by far the most Arabic I've learned in a semester. Coming in, I would've never thought I could read Arabic books-- by the end of the semester I had read 2. My speaking and listening improved substantially as well, which were my weaknesses.
The content course, which is in English for internship students, was amazing. I felt like I was at my home university with intense and interesting lectures and discussions. I really enjoyed the internship seminar as well. It gave a great insight to more of Jordanian culture, especially in the work atmosphere.

I personally had a great internship experience. I worked in both English and Arabic and my duties varied day-to-day, with tasks such as: translation work, attending meetings and taking notes in Arabic and English, editing photos, conducting research, creating flyers, and assisting with trainings across the country.

There were only two things I disliked, the first being some of the rules (no outside visitors, females forbidden from male apartments after 11pm and vice versa, etc.) They seemed a little ridiculous and overbearing. However, as I understand these rules are set by the central CET office in DC, and that the Jordan staff had no control over them and just enforced them as they were told.

Secondly, because the classes were so intensive, I had little free time. Thankfully I had seen most of the city in my previous two visits to Jordan, but I still would have appreciated more time to explore and hang out with Jordanian friends instead of spending my weekends in a cafe studying. I feel like I managed my time well but still struggled to find a good amount of free time. I struggled to find time at the end of the semester to study for finals, pack all my things, and clean the apartment all at the same time. I think it would be great if they could have one 3-day weekend a month during the semester.

Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Year Completed
2018
Media
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