Online Computer Science & IT Study Abroad

My time abroad was beyond amazing and totally exceeded expectations. When I choose to study abroad in Beirut, Lebanon, I was told all kinds of things to worry about, was given a picture of Beirut as dangerous, and my choice as problematic. As soon as I arrived, I quickly realized how wrong those people were. Lebanon is a fantastic country. While it is facing a number of major issues, ranging from the affects of the Port Explosion some years ago, to corruption, and a massive economic crisis, I was able to live, study, and enjoy life immensely. The American University of Beirut is a world renowned institution with rigorous academics and supportive faculty, which the most beautiful campus I have seen, attracting students from every corner of the world. There was a large population of visiting students and we were strongly supported by the Office of International Programs. Beirut was an amazing city to live in, and me and my friends quickly settled in, learning our way around, meeting locals, and becoming a part of the fabric of the city. Getting around Lebanon was easy as well, and I was able to visit so many amazing places and learn so much about the country, its history, and myself. I strongly recommend Lebanon and AUB to any student interested in making a unique and life changing experience choice.

My experience at AUB was phenomenal. I met amazing people who changed my perspective on life as I was on my journey to uplift my academic background. From Academics to social life, I got to meet and interact with great minds both from the Middle East and outside the region. Lectures were rich with case studies, and industry guest speakers who provided an outlook on how what is being learned theoretically is being used at the workplace. Also, lecturers had both industry and academic experience which made lectures more than just a class. Class outings and other gatherings also gave me an opportunity to explore Lebanon and to know more about the Lebanese people and culture, which was absolutely thrilling. AUBs state-of-the-art facilities also helped me in maintaining good physical health as I visited the well-equipped gym and learned how to swim among others. I have made long-lasting connections that have enriched and enlarged my social network. More so, the African community hosted events that made me always feel at home as I met other students from over 10 African countries where we met to have fun and share unique experiences at AUB. Indeed, AUB is my second home!

The American University of Beirut, both as an academic and cultural institution showed me nothing short of total warmth and hospitality from the moment I arrived. The faculty were extremely helpful, and some even showed me around the city to help me better adjust to my surroundings. Classes were often engaging, challenging me as a native english-speaker, which I did not expect, especially given that the classes are taught in english. Regardless, they taught how to conserve my words, to be thoughtful with my diction, and to always consider the ways in which my words could be taken. The area pertaining to and around the campus is gorgeous, and I never experienced any problems on daily walks or trips deeper into the city. Lastly, the students, who were from a staggering spread of countries I had never met anyone else from before, were without fail friendly, kind, patient, helpful, and always eager to do something with me. The beauty of AUB cannot be overstated.

I had an amazing time studying abroad in Beirut. The campus is beautiful, the food is amazing, and there are always fun things to do in and out of Beirut. The AUB international students office was also very helpful in preparing us for the academic year and plan extracurricular events.

My Experience at AUB was one of Adventure, wonder, excitement, adrenaline and adaptation. Stepping off the plane, landing into Beirut I found myself in a time capsule into a bygone era. Immediately I found myself hit with archaic chaos just outside the airport. Cars blaring their horns, stopping at random intervals, each taxi clamoring to get a paying customer. Police officers would struggle with whistles to keep some semblance of working order on the one road that leads out of the airport. It was clear immediately that this was a whole world different than the orderly, Australian streets I was accustomed to. It occurs to me that the chaotic lack of road rules on the streets - even such vital arteries as the roads leading out of the airport is a microcosm of Lebanon as a whole. It's a free-for-all, with a public services sector that somehow just manages to do the bare minimum year after year. The private sector fills in the gap and provides the standard services you'd expect, for a price. Quickly you'll come to find the stark disparity between citizens with those living luxurious lives and those living in abject poverty rubbing shoulders and living across the street from each other. The city of Beirut itself is built as a wondrous mix of modern old and new. It's incredibly addicting and exciting, despite its challenges. Lebanon itself, as a landscape, is absolutely gorgeous. From beautiful forests, to stunning beaches to the ice-capped Mountains of Beirut, the country has an abundant wealth of natural beauty. Complementing the natural beauty of the country are ancient remnants of empires littered around the county. Lebanon itself has been ruled over by countless regimes, from the ancient Romans and Byzantines to the more modern French and Ottoman mandates. Stunning ruins of civilizations lie scattered across the countryside, embraced by overgrown vegetation, remnants of what used to be. Walking around Beirut's Chic neighborhoods, you'll still find beautiful architecture today, harking back to building designs from almost a century ago. Beirut, like a Phoenix, has rebuilt itself as a city multiple times over, on-top of old infrastructure. I found it remarkably breathtaking. Lebanese culture is unique and wondrous. The cultural heritage the country has is unparalleled in the world. Exotic dresses, warm hospitality, mixes of French Cuisine, Arabian shisha lounges and Americanized Bars and Food stalls have made Lebanon the unique cultural mix it represents today. It is common to see people in traditional Lebanese attire across the street from youth in modern, savvy European fashion. In my experience, the real highlight was the food! Traditional Lebanese foods are some of the best in the world. From staples like your breakfast Mankoush(Wrapped cheese pizza) to Maghrabieh(Chickpea & chicken stew), fatte(Flatbread and yoghourt meal) and warak enab(Stuffed Grape leaves), I’ve had some of the most amazing dishes I’ve ever tasted in Lebanon - you will too. AUB however, stands out in the country and the city as a beacon and a haven, somehow within and away from Lebanon at the same time. Clearly the most Prestigious University in the region, I found AUB to be an entirely different world, as if it existed separately from Lebanon. There was order, organization, community and real academics in a stunningly beautiful, huge Campus. Founded in 1866, it's one of the oldest Universities in Existence. Everybody in Lebanon knows AUB. It's quite famous within the middle east - it is THE place to study for all the talented students in the region. I was welcomed warmly and with open arms into the AUB community. Especially by the Office of International Programs (OIP). They really made me feel at home away from home. I made countless friends and even more memories over time at events and meetups around campus and beyond. There was a real sense of community around the international students. After a year, I became a mentor, and helped organize events, activities and trips for incoming int'l students as well as help guide them through the challenges of life in Lebanon. Students on campus are very friendly and warm, many of them speaking the three different languages commonly used in Lebanon - English, French and Arabic. There are many students I studied with that I still consider friends to this day, despite being in different countries. The close bonds I created with some students last forever - I’ve recently been invited to a wedding of a close friend I haven’t seen for over 5 years for example. Student clubs and organizations are particularly active, there's always an event running any given week, often daily. I found myself always having something extra-curricular to do. The Curriculum at AUB is rich with amazing courses to take. The courses are intense! As a Computer Science graduate I found genuine fascination with the courses offered, but struggled with the intensity at times. Apart from Mathematics and Computer Science courses, I enjoyed Natural Science courses such as Chemistry and Geology, but Social Science courses as well - Politics and Economics. There is a vast array of courses to study at AUB, and the professors and support staff have always been helpful and insightful with requests and support Navigating around the bureaucracy of Lebanon can be challenging. I often found myself running around in a wild goose chase, hunting down a specific document I needed from a ministry or an Embassy, only to need a pre-requisite beforehand and starting again. Luckily, the OIP has always been helpful with providing support whenever necessary, and I could always count on excellent advice from staff and colleagues which helped me through. Recently, unfortunately, Lebanon has been hit with Woe. Popular protest against the government, alongside an economic crisis, the devaluation of the currency, the Coronavirus pandemic and an explosion compared by many to the size of a nuclear bomb has transformed the country. Many average citizens have been laid off from their jobs, or suddenly found their salaries almost worthless. Many Lebanese are finding it difficult at the moment, keep that in mind as you interact with the greater community outside AUB. Lebanon is facing many issues sadly, but, like a Phoenix, I believe it will once again grow stronger than ever. It is important to know, for students preparing to study in Lebanon now - that it will be uniquely challenging, heart wrenching, and bittersweet. You will face obstacles in your journey. Some may seem immovable, but somehow, miraculously, you will pull through with pure perseverance, grit and determination. I found some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met in Beirut. In hindsight I understand that they’ve been hardened by difficult circumstances, and forced to morph into the very best versions of themselves to pull through. The AUB community you’ll meet will be there for you. Seek help and support from your colleagues, doing it alone will make it far more difficult than it needs to be. Finally, never lose sight of your goal. Be it a semester abroad or an entire Degree. Stay on track and persevere. Lebanon can be addicting. It can be distracting. It’s constantly on the edge of wonder, excitement and heartbreak at the same time. Believe in yourself. It is another realm of possibility, action and adrenaline. I’m excited for you to see.

AUB was a part of my life since I was young and always dreamt as growing up of studying there and continuing my upper education. However as AUB is part of Lebanon, the many sides of Lebanon, both the good and the bad, are also present in AUB, and you may be considered lucky of you didn't encounter the latter. The good side is that, AUB is a very strong academic institute, it provides a strong, wide range of education, a one which you need to study very hard to get the acceptable grades and GPA. It has some of the best professors and educators, they can be very helpful and kind, as well as an accessible education system, you read correctly, AUB has accessible education, and became one of the numbered academic institutes in middle east to acknowledge studying difficulties, and tries to accommodate for them. And one of my favorite things .. is the campus, AUB has such a beautiful campus with many greenery that is spread on the upper and lower part of the campus surrounding you while studying there. The bad side , however, is the long time AUB offices take to finish their paper work or from another point of view your papers, if you don't kindly remind them most of them time, your papers might take up to 6 or 7 months. another thing is the hidden but still there racism you might face based on your nationality and skin color, sometimes grades can go down if the professor hats the nation you come from, so please ay attention to that if you don't want to suffer from it. also as an American university, it has a very high tuition fee and might be a big withdraw for many people before applying, so it might be better to apply for scholarships or financial aid to able to study in this institute. Putting both sides aside, AUB is still a strong academic institute to study in, if you want to study abroad in lebanon. good luck!

On a surface level, the process of translating an idea into a tangible prototype ready for a pitch to investors was demystified. I found strength in my teammates, and that our ability to bounce ideas off of one another and make compromises made our project more well-rounded than if any one of us had tried to do it alone. My perception of innovation has changed to one that embodies this collaborative nature of my experience in the GGC. I learned that doing proper research and seeking the feedback of others is crucial to the success of a business proposal, and the connections one can make from that can last a lifetime.

GGC has taught me that there is nothing impossible to achieve! After setting up a whole company, I realized that entrepreneurship is not for the smartest people! You just have to belive in yourself and not underestimate your ability. This program helped me to see myself in a more positive light, and has encouraged me not to underestimate what I can achieve! It has also boosted my confidence and helped me master my communication skills!

This week has been such a great learning experience. I was hesitant to pitch my ideas but GGC showed me exactly how to do it. My confidence boosted multi-folds as my team won it. What more can one ask for!

GGC helped me realise just how attainable my goals/ambitions in the startup space are. Before I embarked on the challenge, starting a business of my own seemed like a bit of a pipe dream - sure it's a goal of mine, but how can I tangibly achieve it? GGC helped fill in those gaps and gave me so much valuable knowledge in this area. The challenge also helped me realise exactly how much I am capable of achieving when I really challenge myself. 5 days is not a very long time at all, but it feels like we got 5 months' worth of work done in that time which is absolutely incredible. So going forward, if I'm ever in doubt as to whether I'm capable of doing something, I can think back to my experience with GGC as cold, hard proof that I absolutely am capable.

I never really considered a career in startups and mainly wanted to do this for fun, however, after the experience I am strongly considering a career in startups and really learned so much throughout the week and met some fantastic people that I am going to keep in touch with for a very long time!

I thoroughly enjoyed the work that I completed across the week during GGC. I learnt I can work in a team environment and contribute productively to an idea. I also learnt that I have developed leadership qualities during my time at university that helped me work in my team in GGC.

I have learnt how to involve customers and meet their preferences when starting up an innovation. Moreover taking into account the design, market strategy and business model canvas. Also been a team player and improved on my organisational skills. Really appreciate the love and support during the session. It was intense but the team made it lovely and memorable. Thank you all, keep up the good work.

I think I had a great experience over the GGC. Before the GGC I did not know very much about start-ups and entrepreneurship, and I definitely learnt a lot over the week. Also, it was awesome to see from the panelists and mentors the number of opportunities and industries that you can work in.

I have learned more about basic step-by-step to create a start-up & some soft skills like pitching, teamwork, etc. I am also more confident in myself. Before joining HEX, I don't think that I can do well with a random team from different timezone & different regions. However, we have learnt to work together & try our best in what we are doing. Thank you for being so supportive & making HEX one of the most stressful, but exciting & helpful experiences in my winter break!

I learned how to create a startup and business model, something I had never done before. I really enjoyed learning new business skills about marketing and gaining customer perspective through market research. My favourite new skill I learned was how to make a prototype and using user feedback to improve our startup. It was also useful to work with people from different backgrounds and in different time zones, helping me improve my communication skills and helping organise team members into who was best for which task.

Overall. the GGC experience was a definite highlight in my university journey so far. I really enjoyed the aspect of working with people from around the world. The level of organisation for the HEX team made the experience run seamlessly and made it more enjoyable to learn and try new industry tools.

GGC helped me work along people from different cultures and how we can collaborate by sharing ideas. Further, it expanded my knowledge on several tools and technologies that will come handy in future. Meeting industry experts really expanded my perspective and develop better understanding towards many innovative ideas.

I have always want to start my startup but didn't knew how to do it. After I enrolled in HEX GGC program it change my perception. They gave me a platform where i can think, work on my ideas, pitch my ideas, talk to mentors, work with so many people with different time zones, culture . Now I'm more confident and expressive about my startup and can pitch the ideas.

It was a really good insight into how startups are created and what different roles and aspects go into it. I learned that I'm good at leading a team but that communication is key, especially when dealing with a cross-continental team.