Like most language students, since I started uni, I pretty much haven’t stopped talking about my year abroad – how excited I am, where I’m going, what I’ll do, and, most importantly, how hot it will be (no less than 20°c for anyone who’s interested). But, despite my excitement, my year abroad always felt like some faraway dream that would never actually come true; I was blissfully delusional about leaving my friends, my home, and the country – visas, risk assessments, and last-minute flight booking.
This year, I’ve swapped Manchester’s Fallowfield for Morocco’s Fes, the 143 for the petit taxi, and late-night shawarma for, well, daytime shawarma (a dream come true).
Having been here for a month, I am absolutely in love with the city, but that isn’t to say it has been easy from the very start. In fact, before coming here, I was actually pretty nervous, despite having spent a month in Tunis over the summer. I thought I knew what to expect as a foreign, female, solo-travelling student in North Africa, but that didn’t make the preparation feel any less overwhelming. I was inundated with tips, travel guides, and anecdotes, but it was hard to feel comforted by family friends who had travelled once to Marrakech on a guided tour 8 years ago.
In light of this, here’s some advice I wish I’d heard before leaving for my year abroad; making sure you get the most out of this incredible opportunity.
Before you go
The amount of admin that the University makes you do before you go on your year abroad genuinely should be considered a crime against humanity. I wish I could say that there was some kind of solution, but sadly the forms have to be completed and the boxes have to be ticked. Filling out all of the necessary documents, I remember feeling incredibly stressed and, to be honest, not at all excited. Speaking to my friends who were in the same position, it seems like this was a fairly common experience – prepping for your year abroad at times felt like climbing up an inordinate pile of paperwork.
However, rest assured, once it’s done, it’s done. I know it’s easy to say, but my advice would be to make a comprehensive list of everything you need to do, along with deadlines, and it will make the admin feel more manageable. I wish I had done this from the beginning… instead, I waited for the passive-aggressive email reminders from MyPlacement, which were, quite frankly, the worst part of second year.
Even after this, it might be difficult to feel excited, especially when reality starts to hit and the panic-googling begins. In my case, students going to Morocco were given a travel pack that was full of, to be honest, really intimidating information; there were long sections about catcalling, harassment, and the criminalisation of homosexuality – thrilling stuff.
It’s easy to say now, but I wish I hadn’t let this get to me too much. It’s obviously important to be concerned about your safety, but you have to remember that these guides are there to prepare you for the worst. As a student, be assured that there are plenty of procedures and safety nets to protect you during your time away.
So, when you’re reading the list of all the reasons you could be thrown into Moroccan prison, try to remember to stay positive, because the reality is that you won’t be dealing with this on a day-to-day basis. Remember that doom-scrolling through terrible travel anecdotes – usually from American tourists – will not make your life any better.
Getting to know the people
Having a good group around you can also make the adjustment period of your year abroad much easier. I was lucky in that other Arabic students from the University were also studying in Fes, but remember it’s important to expand your friendships and connections (in real life, not LinkedIn) – especially when you first arrive.
I decided to do a homestay for my first two weeks, which was a challenging but great experience; both for my understanding of the local dialect and culture and also to meet Moroccans living in the city. Whilst the first night in the house was possibly one of the most awkward evenings of my life (a lot of sitting around and drinking mint tea whilst we tried to shuffle across the language barrier), the homestay forced me to speak Arabic pretty much all the time. Not only that, but living with the family also meant I could focus on adjusting to life in Fes without having to stress about day-to-day mundanities, whilst getting fed the most delicious Moroccan dishes. During this time, I was also able to look for more permanent accommodation with friends as I was getting to know the area.
Besides doing a homestay, I also took advantage of the available opportunities to make new friends, including both Moroccan and international students. The institution at which I’m studying has a ‘Language Partner’ programme that pairs up an international student with a local Moroccan student. Whilst there’s no guarantee you will get on, it’s a chance to practise your language skills and, more importantly, to ask for local recommendations. It can definitely make for some awkward conversation, but it might also lead to a great new friendship during your year abroad.
If you’re studying whilst away, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet other students, either local or international, through clubs and societies, trips, or simply if you turn up to class. It’s easy to say, having come out the other side, but going on your year abroad can kind of be like freshers again. You might not meet your besties in the first week, but you have to throw yourself in and trust that it will pay off in the long term, making your year abroad a much better experience.
Getting to know the area
This feels like such basic advice, but I cannot stress this enough. When I was getting the taxi from the airport to the city centre, I remember feeling so overwhelmed; just as I felt when getting the bus from Manchester Piccadilly to Fallowfield for the first time. I was terrified to leave the hotel, for fear of getting lost or harassed, but the reality is that you can’t stay inside forever. I would take short walks from my homestay to the local shops during the day, just to get out of the house and find my feet a little. If this feels intimidating, find a good place to meet your friends and wander to a café together – it will be scary at first, but being with other people can make this feel a little easier.
Once I moved into a new house, which was further in the old town, I was also nervous to walk around by myself, especially because the harassment can be a bit intense at times. However, the worst thing to do is to lock yourself away, because once the locals get to know you a little, you will start to be treated as one. I made an effort to walk around during the day to get to know the local corner shop owner, and to tell my neighbours (in Arabic) that I lived here when they told me that my road was a cul-de-sac. Nine times out of ten, people were so pleased and congratulatory when they found out I could speak Arabic, and were extremely welcoming. Now, if I encounter a problem in the area, a neighbour will speak up for me, which is something I couldn’t have imagined when I first moved in.
That isn’t to say that harassment doesn’t exist at all, because being a foreign woman automatically makes you very visible. If I had a pound for every time someone said ‘nihao’ to me (I’m Japanese), or that I had a ‘beautiful face’ and they wanted to marry me, when I was walking back from doing my big shop, I’d be rich by now. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t extremely frustrating, but (as the Arabic proverb goes) ‘the dogs bark but the caravan passes’ – aka, keep your head up and move on (and learn how to tell people to bog off in Arabic).
Having been here for a month, I now understand why every fourth-year raves about their year abroad – it really is so exciting and challenging in the best way. What’s more, to feel like your degree is actually being put to use can be so encouraging; crying over Arabic verb forms was so worth it now that I’m here.
