Jordan

Our History

1- Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi! I’m Andrew Sandock, and I graduated last spring with my BA in WIMES. 

2- What got you into studying in Jordan? How did you discover the institute you went to study in?

I studied Arabic throughout my time at McGill, but really wanted an experience where I could practice every day in an immersive environment. I chose Jordan because I wanted to focus on the Levantine dialect, and I had heard that Jordan had a lot of good programs in addition to be an easier place to learn Arabic compared to Lebanon, for example, because English and French are spoken less here than other places.

I am studying at the Institut Français du Proche-Orient here in Amman. I found out about the program from a friend who knew about it, and talked about it with Professor Shokry. He talked me through some different options for studying, and we landed on IFPO because he knew it had a good program, and it is much less costly than most of the other big language schools, like Qasid.

3- What are some of the biggest misconceptions that people have about traveling in Jordan?

People say that Jordan is really boring, but honestly if you are tenacious in getting yourself out there, you can find a lot of really interesting things to do and communities to join. There are so many beautiful places in this country that are just a day trip away, and if you tap through that first layer, you’ll find a lot going on, from gallery exhibitions, to concerts and parties, to language exchange groups, to sports games, to cute farmers’ markets.

4- What was your favourite experience there?

It’s cliché, but my favourite experience so far definitely has been my trip to Petra and Wadi Rum. Petra is truly a world wonder, and lives up to all the hype. It was so much more extensive than I thought it would be, and we just spent hours wandering around there. Staying overnight under the stars in Wadi Rum was an unforgettable moment as well, and thanks to our hosts we had a really special and unique experience with the things we got to see. 

5- What do you feel was your biggest personal accomplishment?

I think at the beginning of the year I felt a little lost in my decision to come here. I did three years at McGill rather than doing four with an exchange year, so I really missed my friends and Montreal. But after I got into the swing of things I really found my groove with studying and getting into a routine here. A few weeks ago, it hit me how I was having entire conversations without needing to even think about what to say in English first, and that language progress has definitely been the achievement I came here for.

6- What do you find inspirational about studying there? Did your experience inspire you for any future plans?

Something I really like about IFPO is that it is mainly a research institute which houses an Arabic program, so I am also able to engage with my research interests from my undergrad there. After talking with the scholars there, we are arranging a research internship for me to join onto an oral history archival project, and I’m really excited to continue exploring my academic interests besides my language ones.

7- If you could talk to your past self, how would you prepare for prior travel to Jordan?

I would encourage myself to try and get out more and make more intentional connections. Most of the other students at IFPO are cohorts of uni students on their exchange year, and were already close friends before they got here, so I was kind of on my own in terms of navigating new people. I think in the end that was an advantage for me though, because I wasn’t bound to any group and was able to find people I really connected with.

8- Last but not least, what advice would you have for future McGill students seeking to study away in Jordan?

I’d just give the classic study away advice: hang on to every moment, get yourself out there, and SAY YES to the opportunities that come your way, even if it’s something you might not necessarily have been interested in.

Part II – Questions on the application procedure:

1- How did you apply to the school? 

I applied online through the IFPO website: http://www.ifporient.org/stages-de-langue-arabe/stage-annuel-de-langue-arabe/ . The application came out a bit later than other schools, and I filled it out and completed the print-out exam in May. I found out about my acceptance in June. Because the timeline was so late, I applied to some other places as a back up, but honestly any McGill Arabic student would probably be good to go in terms of level of admission.

2- How was the visa application process? What did you do to get it?

The school recommends you to just come on a tourist visa, since the institute is French and not Jordanian. Granted you are from a country where you can attain visa-on-arrival (Canada, France, USA), you just have to pay 40 JOD at the airport when you arrive and then renew it every month for free with a letter from the institute of study. Something I would recommend if you plan on doing a lot of travelling is going to the consulate or embassy in your country ahead of time and applying for a long term, multiple-entry tourist visa. My passport if filling up pretty quickly with Jordanian visas and extensions, as you have to pay a new one every time you enter the country.