IES Abroad Rabat

IES Abroad Rabat Summer Studies program was a great experience for me. It was the perfect opportunity for me to use and improve my French in an academic setting as well as pick up some Moroccan Arabic. While I was participating in the program, I also got to experience Ramadan, which was an interesting opportunity to learn more about Islam and its practices. My host family spoke good French but was really encouraging and helped me practice my Arabic every night.

The field study in Senegal is also a major benefit of this program. Before going on the program, I had studied French for several years but wanted to expand my horizons and experiences cultures much different from my own. Morocco offered many fascinating cultural experiences, but my personal growth was definitely multiplied by our stay in Dakar. It changed my previously held views about North and West Africa. If you’re interested in learning more about the Francophone world, I highly recommend this program.

Living and studying with IES in Rabat, Morocco for four months was one of the best eras of my life. I lived with a wonderful family who introduced me to Moroccan mint tea, miloui and couscous, who took me to visit cousins in neighboring towns and taught me Arab dances. My teachers at the IES Center went out of their way to make sure I understood Arabic grammar, had the vocabulary to watch Moroccan media coverage of conflicts in the Middle East and religious celebrations in North Africa. I was able to travel each weekend as far north as Granada, Spain, and as far south as Western Sahara. I shopped in the suq for vegetables with my host mother, saw snake charmers on the outskirts of a rap show in Meknes, visited women's associations in the Atlas Mountains. IES Rabat allowed me to return to the states with too many stories, too many strange souvenirs, and a beautiful new perspective.

I studied in Rabat for an entire academic year, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I took classes in French, took a class at University Mohammed V, learned basic Arabic, and learned so much about Moroccan culture and history. Spending the year seemed daunting in the beginning, but at the end of my first semester I was happy to be staying. I had finally gotten into the groove of things and that allowed me to get an even deeper, more fulfilling experience. I loved my host family, who I stayed with for the entire year and am still in contact with on a regular basis. I also enjoyed the exploring that I had the opportunity to do living in such a vibrant country in an amazing part of the world. I am glad I didn’t just pick any old French program and instead found myself with an interest in a part of the world I hadn’t known anything about before my adventure.

I studied in Rabat, Morocco for three and a half months and it was the most unforgettable experience I've ever had. Morocco is different from anything I had ever known and even though it was intimidating at first, I felt one with the country and the people in no time. The IES staff was so great at getting us to be immersed in the culture and always there for us if we did not understand something. The classes were very interesting and taught me a lot about Morocco's culture, Islam and issues that concerned North Africa and the Middle East. There are even classes taught in French so that French speakers could improve their French language skills while learning Arabic. One of my favorite parts about the trip was my home stay. My host family was welcoming and treated me like their own daughter. My house was in the medina (the old city) where a lot of traditional families live, which was very interesting to see every day. I was also near a lot of little shops, cafes and even the beach! I definitely recommend studying abroad in Morocco with IES because it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Studying Abroad in Rabat was one of the most profound experiences of my life. It was difficult at times with the entirely different language and culture, but gaining that perspective was invaluable. Whether it was haggling for that jalaba in the souk entirely in Arabic or surfing in one of the many beautiful isolated beach towns or climbing the Atlas Mountains, Morocco holds an incredible amount to experience, especially in the differences it holds in their way of life, which maintains stark difference from our own. I probably could have had more fun in other abroad programs, but I would never have learned as much as I have anywhere else and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

IES Abroad Rabat, Morocco provided one of the best semesters of my college experience. One of the great things about this program was the placement with two host families – one during orientation and one for the rest of the semester. The organization chose great families and homes for us to live with. My first family had the smallest home I’d ever seen, but they were kind and so very loving; my second family had the most beautiful home I’d ever seen but the family was less talkative. It was nice to have the chance to experience two different local families. IES Rabat places you about a 30-minute walk from their school. This walk to/from school was always very exciting, as you get to experience the old medina streets and the busy Rabat streets full of taxis and buses. IES also provided amazing organized excursions and field trips. I was able to camp in the Sahara Desert, spent a night with an Amazigh family in the Middle Atlas Mountains, and explore southern Spain. I was a French major seeking to fulfill my degree requirements, and with this organization, I was able to take three classes that were French-taught. Learning Arabic was then a huge plus! However, one downfall while abroad was then I became very ill from severe food poisoning. IES Rabat directors were very helpful in getting me the help I needed (from doctors and pharmacists) but also providing comfort and support during my recovery. It was one of the scariest moments of my life, but with their help, my study abroad semester was still incredibly amazing. I never learned so much, and I wish I could do it again.

If you're interested in studying abroad in Morocco be mindful that it is a Islamic country. Many of the traditions of the religion are embedded within the culture.
On the other hand the program, IES Abroad, does a great job scheduling activities and field trips for the students. There are trips to the Sahara Desert, Spain, hiking the Atlas Mountain and a visit to the Berber Village.
Classes are relatively easy and everyone is required to take an Arabic course. The first week, Darija, Moroccan dialect of Arabic, is taught so the students are able to converse with their host families. During the semester, there are 4 different levels of Arabic provided ranging from beginners to intermediate.
Overall, the trip has been amazing and a great experience to learn more about Islamic culture.

The people who work for IES Rabat are an absolute godsend who support the students incredibly. They ease the transition from America to Morocco, sometimes a little too well. On trips it would feel like our hands were being held, but maybe that's necessary. The academics can feel like a hindrance because it seems like it can be simple busy work that gets in the way of actual academics or traveling. My host family was so welcoming and awesome, but there were a few families who were not as supportive. The walk to the IES Center from the medina is advertised 15 minutes, but that's only from one corner of the medina that doesn't have many families. Most of the other ones are around a 30-minute walk. 90% of the time i felt safe, but that's because i'm a male. Girls should almost ALWAYS walk with a guy to ward off street talk from creepy Moroccan men. The trips are relatively inexpensive and well worth it. Overall, i'd highly recommend the program to anyone willing to escape their comfort zone.