Middlebury - C.V. Starr Schools Abroad

The Middlebury in Jordan staff is extremely caring, thoughtful, and their attention to detail is remarkable. I felt very looked out for, especially when we had to relocate due to conflict in the middle of the semester. In general, the program pushes you to learn the most you can and it truly helps you integrate into Jordanian culture. I will forever be grateful for the friends, mentors, and family I gained throughout my semester. I also gained invaluable knowledge on the region as a whole and linguistic skills -- knowledge that I never learned in my schooling in the U.S.

I really enjoyed this program! I got to explore Kazakhstan, take interesting classes, and learn independence all while being fully immersed in the Russian Language. Going into this program, I already had an intermediate understanding of the Russian language, but I wanted to learn more about the Russian-speaking world. I found that Kazakhstan — typically unexplored by the average American study-abroad student —and, in particular, the program with Middlebury, were well-suited to my academic and personal goals. I got to work intimately with Kazakh students, learn about a previously unexplored culture, all while eating good food, celebrating important Kazakh holidays, and viewing breathtaking architecture (attached). For Russian-speaking students interested in furthering their academic career and being fully immersed, consider the program in Astana!

My study abroad in Cordoba helped me grow, pushed my boundaries, and highlighted the parts of my life that I deeply value. I was able to view the world through different perspectives and challenge my ideas of what normal was. Finding new ways in which I fit into communities that looked different from the ones I grew up around helped me find different parts of myself. The global variety of people I was able to meet, talk with, and form deep relationships with, helped me understand myself in brand new ways. Additionally, Spain has so many different places with their own distinct cultures, histories, and communities. Being able to explore the different parts of Spain enriched my study abroad beyond my experiences in Cordoba. Studying abroad completely transformed how I will approach new people and situations in the future and fueled my desire to learn more about the cultures, languages, and people that form the world.