Morocco
Fall 2009
What made you decide to go abroad?
To me, the debate of going abroad was never really an option. My brother, who went to American University, said that he always regretted not going abroad. Therefore, I made it a point to do it even knowing that I would miss a lot of opportunities at school.
What is the first thing you did after you decided you wanted to study abroad?
I made the decision in high school. So I started researching online for a program that fit what I was looking for. I wanted to study in a non traditional setting; a place that I couldn't visit when I was retired.
What helped you pick your program? How did you decide?
I found my program online with the help of Google. I wanted a unique experience in a city. Marist did not provide a program in a city in Morocco so I chose to find it online. As for going to Morocco, I mentioned my not wanting to go do Europe and my friend mentioned, why not Morocco?
Do you feel that you were prepared when you left?
No. I did not take Arabic seriously enough before I left. My language skills in Arabic and French were okay and I did decently while I was there, but life, in comparison to American life, is vastly different. The language barrier only disappeared after a couple months. However, while I wasn't ready for the shift in lifestyles, that definitely added to the experience.
How could the abroad office have made your preparations easier?
They couldn't have. Very few students travel to Muslim countries and there is not much of a support line there. As for students going in the future, Marist is preparing them by having them talk to me.
Once you get there…
What did you think of the classes there? Was there an orientation or anything that helped ease your
nerves before your first class?
My language classes there were a lot more in depth than at Marist. This is due to the five days a week i spent in the classrooms. There was an orientation in which we stayed in very nice hotels for 2 days. This allowed us to acclimate to being in a very new environment.
How different were your expectations from the real thing? If very different, did that stress you out?
And how did you relieve that stress?Well, life definitely was slower, however it didn't seem that way. The constant traveling was stressful and wearing on the body. Being in a strange place that had very little stuff in common with the US was stressful. We would use my apartment as a way to feel like we were back in America again. We would hang around drink and just talk about things we would discuss in the USA.
Your favorite place to eat?
Someone's house. Restaurants are only for foreigners and therefore the best cooks are in the home.
Food or drink you MUST try?
Sweet Moroccan tea. It's delicious. Or Yawmy, it's a yogurt drink.
Favorite place to go out with friends?
The cafe or around the country. We went to the cafe a lot because there would often be internet there, plus it was a lot easier to relax there. However, we also traveled every weekend, which was kind of hit or miss. We went a lot of great places around the country, and a lot of not so awesome places.
Place students MUST visit?
Chellah, which are Roman ruins in Rabat (the capital where I stayed). Volubilis, which are some more Roman ruins. Fez, which is one of the best known cities. It is breathtaking.
Place with the best deals? Or to get great, but cheap souvenirs?
Go to the souks (markets) in the cities. Be ready to negotiate yourself to a better deal. Buying anything besides food is always a struggle.
What is the best piece of advice you can give others going abroad?
Do everything. Forget about money, you're only there once
Anything else you would like to share with those who are planning to go abroad in the future?
Pay attention to your body. If you get sick, make sure you take care of it. In my travels, I got very sick and I waited too long to seek care.
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