I am a student from the UK in the midst of my bachelor’s degree with the sole purpose of coming to Jordan to become profound in the language of Arabic. Ultimately, my passion is to enhance my steps towards my desired career as I am very much engrossed in the conventions of the Middle East. My first impressions of the University of Jordan (UJ) is the huge scope of the campus and how closely knit the community of students is in comparison to London. Staff and students from across the campus are very warm and welcoming towards international students which truly makes me feel heartened to be here. Especially, as there’s that constant encouragement to speak in Arabic.
My daily classes at the Language Center (LC) challenge my language skills on interesting topics which range from media, poetry, films, unemployment, history, artists, authors, education and so on across the Middle East. What I enjoy best about my classes is the constant discussions amongst students which helps me in my daily conversations. Outside of classes, the LC is great in bringing students together from across the eight levels of Arabic through weekly trips across Jordan, which have hence broadened my cultural knowledge and understanding in terms of being accustomed to local living. Also, weekly extra classes for dialect and dabke are offered to us by local students which is appreciable and enjoyable when interacting with great personalities and thus making new friends.
In particular, the LC has organised excellent one-off events which have also allowed me to engage more with international as well as local students. For example, my favourite event so far has been International Food Day as I engaged with students from across the globe over their national dish. Recently, there has also been lectures at the center on Palestine and religion by local speakers which have been a pleasure to have been invited to.
Furthermore, UJ provides great services and equal opportunities for international students across the campus. For example, the academic centers, library, sports courts, medical clinics and hospital, banks, lunch facilities and other faculties are very helpful alongside my studies here at the university.