Summer at the University of Oxford

Salma Elgerby at our office

English major Salma Elgerby had a genuinely special semester abroad at the University of Oxford's Exeter College, Oxford, England, in Summer 2019. From Harry Potter-esque house sorting to one-on-one tutorials with faculty, Salma got to enjoy the uniquely British character of the college - and she wishes the experience had never ended. She told us a bit about her time there, and on Nov. 17, she will deliver the bulk of our information session about this program to encourage other AUS students to take the opportunity.

Salma absolutely loved the experience and said the "worst thing about it is that it ended." She said the Exeter College Summer Program provides 'Program Ambassadors,' who are like parents. The 83 students who attended last summer were divided into houses, like in Harry Potter and as is typical of the British system. Each house had a 'parent' (who was actually another Oxford student) to provide guidance and organize a wide range of daily activities for the students. The students got to do 3-4 activities per day, including punting on the river, boutique shopping, trips to London to visit The Shakespeare Globe Theatre, and more. Salma added that the housing itself was like a hotel - it was extremely nice and even better than she expected.

Salma took two courses during the summer: Literatures of Modernism, which transferred back to AUS as a 3-credit course, and Moral Philosophy. The credits for the latter didn't transfer, but she loved the course and was really glad to have taken it. She said there was a heavy reading load, but it was manageable, and she got an A- in both courses. The structure for Oxford courses is quite different from AUS; for each course, they have six lectures (of 1.5 hours each, and with little student participation), then six seminars (with lots of discussion and participation), and then four tutorials. According to Salma, the tutorials were the best part, as they had two-on-one or even one-on-one discussions with faculty, which resulted in very intellectual conversations.

We asked her about why she was okay taking courses when she knew the credits wouldn't transfer, and she said there was a lot of value and knowledge in that course. She added that this whole opportunity led to recommendation letters from Oxford faculty and contacts all over the world, and you never really know where all that could lead to.


Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist

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

Summer in Istanbul

We have a somewhat more unconventional study abroad story to share with you this time around. Noureldeen Tamimi is a Jordanian junior mechanical engineering student at AUS who spent Summer 2018 in Boğaziçi University (Bosphorus University) in Istanbul, Turkey. However, he did not arrange his study abroad through our office but rather opted to arrange it on his own. He specifically wanted to visit Turkey because a friend had advised him to: "A friend of mine went to Turkey a year before, and they told me about the experience and I said, 'why not?' I was looking for a new adventure and something different to do. I saw Turkey as an opportunity to discover my personality and do something fun and crazy!" he said.

Noureldeen stayed in Boğaziçi University's dorms during his 7 weeks in Turkey. According to him, the dorms were the best part of his time at the university: "It was very chill," he said. "They weren’t strict, there was no curfew, and they provided good facilities. And of course [the dorms are] the main place to meet people, so that was the best part." I asked Noureldeen how else Boğaziçi University is different from AUS, and he smiled. "It’s different from AUS in every aspect," he said. "First of all, there's the fact that it’s in Turkey, so you’re living in a different community, a different society, a different culture, and that itself makes it an experience. But also, this campus had a private beach, an outdoor pool, and they gave us free tango lessons! And also, the nature of the people there was different, so that also creates the experience."

But some things were relatively similar between the two universities - Noureldeen said the academic system in Boğaziçi University was not drastically different than in AUS and did not require much adjustment. "Basically, you just need to follow the syllabus of whatever you’re taking there. If you just follow the instructions of the professor, you'll be fine," he said.

Although Noureldeen first said the dorms were the best part of Boğaziçi University, he changed his mind when the topic came up again: "I know I said the housing was the best part, but actually, it was the campus. The campus was huge, it had a view of the Bosphorus, it was green, it was beautiful. So yes, the best part was the campus for sure."

Noureldeen made the most of his time in Istanbul. "I went to Bebek Village along the Bosphorus, to Çamlıca Hill, which is the biggest hill in Istanbul, to Galata Tower... Turkey is full of these sights," he said. Given the sheer size of Istanbul, Noureldeen could satisfy his desire for adventure without leaving the city. "Because Istanbul is huge, I went all around [the city]. I had the opportunity to go to Cappadocia, a different city, and I regret not taking that opportunity. I plan on going to Turkey again next summer to visit Cappadocia specifically," he said.

So how is Turkey different from the UAE? "First of all, the weather!" Noureldeen laughed. "And the nature - they have four seas in Turkey. The vibe itself is different; it’s very festive there." He said that there is a stereotype that Turkish people are difficult to approach, but he found the opposite to be true: "They were actually very friendly and welcoming."

Noureldeen reflected on what he gained from his study abroad. "As a person, when you meet people from different cultural backgrounds, it changes the way you look at people. You need to take into consideration that each individual has a different cultural background and therefore a different way of thinking. [My study abroad] also taught me how to be self-dependent, how to never say no to an opportunity, how to have fun, and how to speak Turkish! Well, not that much, but just the basic survival language," he said.

Another consequence of Noureldeen's study abroad is that it inspired him to want to work here at IXO. "If you tell someone you're going to study abroad, they'll think it's all about going to a different place, a different country," he said. "For me personally, after my experience, I've found that the 'study abroad' is in meeting these people that you meet while you're in a different country. So through communicating with people you gain such a magnificent experience, and that's why I want to work at IXO: to meet new people and seek new adventures."



Suzana Saoud
IXO Publicity Specialist