Even though I still have 2 months and 15 days left until I leave for PDO (Pre-Departure Orientation) in Washington DC, NSLI-Y is what I spend a lot of time thinking about. Here are some of the random things that I have been doing/stressing about/are super excited about in preparation for NSLIY:
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Lots of high schoolers today have shunned Facebook in favor of Instagram and Snapchat and other forms of social media, so I had always thought that there is no reason for me to get a Facebook. I finally got one because my crew coach sends out team notifications through Facebook and so I joined. First of all, I would like to say that I personally don't like as much as Instagram because I feel like it is overly cluttered and the interface is messy. Also, none of my friends are really on it so there wasn't much for me to do.
However, Facebook was a blessing in disguise, I was introduced to such an amazing NSLI-Y community of alums, fellow applicants, who were all so friendly and willing to give advice and share experiences. These two NSLI-Y groups that are great if you are thinking about applying- NSLI-Y Applicants (it says 2012-2013, but it is actually ongoing) and Ask NSLI-Y Alumni. Through these groups I was also able to find my fellow NSLI-Y Summer Arabic Jordan finalists (side note-it's confusing but the people who actually get the scholarship are called finalists). It's crazy because we are from all over the country but within a couple days we have all come together and already started to get to know each other. They all seem amazing and have diverse interests and I am really excited to get to know them next summer. Bye, Sophia Shortly after receiving the acceptance letter, a 125 page Participant Guide and a ton of paperwork also came my way.
I loved reading the Participant Guide and gained so much valuable insight into the ins and outs of Amman and the NSLI-Y Program. I learned so much about the culture from everything from taboo conversation topics to appropriate dress and more. But as for the paperwork, I only have one thing to say: so much paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!! I have filled out so many forms talking about my previous travel experience, my passport info, family info, Arabic language knowledge etc. and they all require such precise information and they all have different rules about how to submit them so it's a bit overwhelming. Anyway, I just can't wait to receive the Pre-Program Language Study so I can start to learn Arabic. While I already can read and write the Arabic script because my family speaks a different language that uses the same script, I know no Arabic and I can't wait to start learning so I can dive right in to interacting with people when I go to Jordan. Bye, Sophia Oh My Gosh!!!!! I just got my acceptance email from NSLI-Y!!!!!!!! I can not believe this! I am going to be spending 6 weeks living in Amman, Jordan and learning how to speak Arabic. On March 16, I was sitting in math class and I got an email from nsliy. It didn't have any content, which was a bit worrying at first but I opened the attachment and read 'We are pleased to inform you that...' and all I wanted to do was stand up and starting jumping up and down and screaming. After class, I ran out and read the acceptance letter, acceptance contract and brief program details and I just kept rereading them over and over again. I looked up all the details of the place where we would be studying, more information about Amman etc.
Here is a quick map for reference- |
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. !أهلا و ساهلاHi! I'm Sophia, a high schooler from the San Francisco Bay Area. I received a scholarship through the State Dept. to study Arabic in Jordan in the summer of 2016. Categories
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