Summer at Stanford University, as Told By Hajar El Mouttaqui

Hajar at the Stanford University campus

It's not every day that you get the opportunity to study at Stanford University. We're thrilled to bring to you the story of Hajar El Mouttaqui, a finance major who had a very fulfilling study abroad under the International Honors Program at Stanford University, California, USA last summer. Although the credits she earned during her time abroad will not be transferred due to lower contact hours than required at AUS, Hajar found the program to be completely worthwhile and says it is one of the best things she's ever done.

The Stanford summer program came as an unexpected, golden opportunity for Hajar. "In the beginning, all I knew is that I made a decision to take summer courses abroad. I did my research and chose a couple of programs in Europe. Then one day, I received an email from Dr. Linda announcing Stanford's International Honors Program. I literally forgot about all the other programs and started applying to this one," she said.

Entrance to Stanford

The Summer Session office at Stanford had a lot of activities planned for the incoming IHP students. "There were some fun activities such as trips to UC Berkeley, Santa Cruz, California's Great America theme park, and many more. We also did some residential hall activities such as resumé-writing workshops, study sessions, talks with expert guest speakers, and so on. These activities really helped us explore the Bay Area and our campus. We also had the chance to meet innovative leaders and experts, whether they were faculty members or guest speakers."

Hajar with fellow AUS students at Stanford

Bird's-eye view of the Stanford campus

California was even better than Hajar expected. "[California] is a magical land where dreams do come true," she said. "It provides an open environment that encourages people to be more creative, innovative and most importantly, to be themselves. My favorite parts were Stanford University's campus, Santa Cruz Boardwalk and San Francisco."

Stanford campus at night

During her summer abroad, Hajar took three courses: "I took Introduction to Operations Management with Professor Richard Kim, Introduction to Decision Making with Professor Burke Robinson, and Intermediate Hip Hop with Professor Ronnie Reddick. The best course was Introduction to Decision Making because it was an unusual course that is not available here at AUS. This course basically walks you through the steps of making a decision using multiple analytical tools such as decision trees, tables and diagrams, risk tolerance, and net present values."

Hajar genuinely cherishes her time at Stanford. "I can confidently say that my summer at Stanford was the best experience I've ever had," she said. "Even though the credits don't transfer, the knowledge is definitely worth it. Do not think about this experience as a bunch of courses that you'll take for two months. Instead, think about the friendships you'll make, the knowledge you'll acquire, the unique and innovative courses you'll take, the fun you'll have, and the multicultural environment that you'll live in. I really wish that many more students would take advantage of this opportunity and I really hope that AUS encourages them to go on such adventures, either by providing more incentives or by recognizing such experiences."


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist