Full Year in Jordan vs Semesters in Jordan and France

Applying to College
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<p>My plan is to study abroad for all of next year, and as of now I'm confirmed to study in Oman this summer (intensive Arabic through the Critical Language Scholarship) and Jordan in the fall (through Middlebury College, taking all my courses in Arabic though mostly with other Americans), but I'm trying to decide what makes the most sense for the spring - staying in Jordan for a full year or switching gears a bit and studying in France.</p>

<p>BACKGROUND: I'm a sophomore Gov major and future Arabic major with 2 years of Arabic study so far. I haven't taken French since high school, but a lot of my French skills came back when I spent 2 weeks in Morocco, and it made me realize how much I wanted to start working on my French agan.</p>

<p>Pros to Jordan:
-staying in a country for a full year would definitely give me more linguistic and cultural immersion (though I will also get this chance when I do a capstone year for Arabic Flagship in Morocco, so I don't know how necessary this is)
-Arabic is much harder to learn than French so maybe I should spend all my time focusing on Arabic and just trying to bring my French back in a few years after graduation?
-the program would help me find an internship in my second semester (not my first since my dialect skills won't be that great right away) whereas it might be harder in a small town in France, so it could be more helpful for my resume
-the second semester would also allow me the possibility of directly enrolling in a class with Jordanian students
-one of my best friends is studying in Amman in the spring as well (she won't be there in the fall though) and being able to live abroad with her would be extremely cool</p>

<p>Pros to France:
-I'd be in Sciences Po in Menton, a campus that focuses on Middle Eastern politics, so I'd be able to continue my study of the Middle East but from a new location
-I could take both Arabic and French, working on eventually becoming trilingual
-I'd be taking classes with mostly French students and with some international students as well; it's a direct exchange rather than an American-run program, so I'd hopefully get more of a chance to make local friends
-I could experience living in a different region of the world, learning about Europe after living for a while in the Middle East; this would be especially important considering that I'm likely to live in the Middle East for awhile after graduation,but this might be my only chance to live in Europe
-I kind of like that this option is a bit more frivolous; Jordan seems to be slightly better on a professional level, but I also just love the idea of living in France and getting a chance to see Europe - plus Menton is just super beautiful; I'd be living right on the Mediterranean within walking distance of Italy <3 </p>

<p>Does anyone have thoughts/experiences re: staying in one country for a full year vs living in a different country each semester? </p>

<p>Sorry this is so long, but I really appreciate hearing any opinions you have! </p>

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<p>My advice is to go to Jordan for a year and concentrate on Arabic. You will have a much more intensive experience, which you cannot fit into a single semester. There are many phases you go through in a foreign-living experience - you start with awe and exhilaration, pass through disillusion or even anger, and come up with a much more realistic view in the closing months - and it is a cycle you can’t truncate into a few months. Otherwise, you will essentially be a tourist, not to forget that learning a language like Arabic is a massive challenge.</p>

<p>Regarding France, I did a sciences po degree. They are intense places with lots of interesting students, but it will be very hard to crack their social circles in one semester or even a year. If you go for a single semester, you almost certainly will wind up hanging around with foreign students. Moreover, you will only begin to catch on to their method of study - very heavy on memorization - so may not get that much in terms of content. </p>

<p>I also wouldn’t recommend doing 2 languages at once, though that is perhaps my own limitation, but you tend to learn neither well instead of both. If you have the means, I would recommend doing them separately, perhaps with a summer intensive course in France. </p>

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<p>Thanks alcibiade, that’s really helpful! That’s the main reason I’m thinking about doing Jordan for a full year, so I can get that longer experience. It’s also nice to hear from someone with experience at Sciences Po - I’m not too worried about 2 languages at once since I’ve studied both before and I’m ready to take on that challenge, but it’s a good point that I might have a hard time integrating. (though do you know if that depends on the campus? I’ve heard that Menton’s student body was tiny so I was hoping that would make it easier to meet people)</p>

<p>I’m wondering though, if you think it changes anything that I’ll be studying for a full year in Morocco later on, so I’ll be getting that immersive experience later? The main thing drawing me to the France program is that since I’ll already have an opportunity to spend a full year in the Middle East in one location (on top of doing both summer and fall in the Middle East this year), I’ll have tons of experience in that region so I also want the chance to live in Europe for a bit… But I also get that I might miss out on both potential experiences by trying to do too much…</p>

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<p>I don’t know about the other sci-po campuses, I was in the Paris one. The French tend to be clique-ish, and like most Europeans not all that interested in American students (a gross generalization, I know, but that’s my experience); they, like Brits, are reserved. </p>

<p>I would encourage you to live in Europe, I prefer it to N America. But again, at least for a year. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>