Doran studied on the CIEE: Amman, Middle East Studies (Summer) Program in Summer 2016.

 

If you could give only one reason, why would you suggest other students study abroad?
There are many reasons to study abroad, but if I must suggest the experience for a single reason it would have to be that studying abroad is a fantastic way of diversifying your understanding of the world. By getting to travel abroad you can learn about how people from across the world do things differently from you and this understanding helps build relations in our rapidly globalizing world. During my trip to Jordan I got to experience living in, if only for a short time, a Middle Eastern country. This kind of experience can ground academic research and provide a more tangible understanding of people, places, and ideas.

If you could go abroad again, what would you do differently?
The program I participated in offered two sessions and I only attended the first one. If I could do it over again I would definitely stay for both sessions! Other than that I would not change a thing. Going in the summer semester meant that the experience did not lengthen my academic career, which was a factor worth noting when considering study abroad options, especially the choice between a semester long program or a summer program.

What specific factors influenced your decision to go abroad?
Having lived abroad when I was younger I’ve known throughout my collegiate career that studying abroad was something I wanted to. I also felt that spending time in a region (the Middle East) that had dominated my academic career would make all my scholarly efforts more tangible, I’d be able to not only write about a region based on the experiences of others, but call upon my own memories and perspectives. Finally, one big aspect of the timing of my study abroad was my language proficiency. I decided to wait to apply for the program until I felt comfortable with my Arabic language skills and prepared to use the language on a daily basis.

What experiences did you have while studying abroad that you feel you could not have had if you had stayed at Penn State?
I think the best way I can describe this is by relating a short description of an experience I had while I was in Jordan. One evening, about halfway through my trip, I and several of my fellow American students were eating dinner at a local cafe. In usual Amman style the tables were on the sidewalk and there were cars, pedestrians, waiters, and diners everywhere. Intermixed with this group were numerous children playing. Their revelries and imagination fascinate me so I often watch and listen to their games. That evening was no exception. As I sat there, eating hummus and falafel, I heard one of the children laugh. The laugh was not particularly interesting or emotive, but in that moment something clicked and I realized just how little was different between the child I was watching on the streets of Amman, and a child I might watch playing during the Arts Fest in State College. That’s what you can’t get just from staying at Penn State. If you stay here, you won’t ever realize how the laugh of a little child can sound just the same half way across the world.