Job Discussion Forums

[xnihil]

I have been accepted to the American University of Cairo MA in TEFL
program. I would like to hear from anyone who's either had any experience with the program, AUC in general or living in Cairo.

I've heard that AUC has a bit of a lightweight reputation so I'm curious to
hear about how rigorous their academic standards are.

I've read several posts about how Egypt is becoming less friendly for
Americans, can anyone corroborate, deny or amplify these observations?

Finally, if I do go, I have to decide whether or not my wife (also American)
should accompany me. She is of Armenian background and might blend in
better than some, but she's not accustomed to dressing or acting
conservatively. Will she hate it there?

[veiledsentiments]

I had a Fellowship from AUC and got my MA there some years back. I quite enjoyed it and it was worth every minute. There is nothing like a free MA. It was the first place I lived overseas and it is still my favorite place to visit.

Is their reputation lightweight? Not that I had heard. When it all comes down to it, and you are getting a job in some university somewhere, your paycheck will be the same as everyone else that has an MA.

I still have friends who teach there and they say that there has been no change at all in how they are treated. But then, almost all AUC people pick up a bit of Arabic and are really considered part of the community.

I can't think of any reason why your wife shouldn't come if she can deal with living in a country that is nothing like America. Her dress would only need to be a bit more conservative than the US. She will get less attention from the men if she avoids things that are too tight or too scanty. I never wore shorts or sleeveless things, but then I don't wear them in the US either.

If you want more specific information, just PM me.

[stoth1972]

Firstly, in reply to your questions re: AUC Masters in TESOL, I agree with the other response that a fellowship is easy enough to obtain thereby making your studies 11,000 USD cheaper than my own masters! On the other hand, friends who did the course felt it was lacking in many respects and perhaps not up to snuff with others Masters. I am doing mine with a very reputable institution, but I'm not happy, so take those comments with a grain of salt!

I also lived in Cairo for 2 years and being tall and blonde caught a good deal of attention. I never felt I was dressing more conservatively than I would at home. Neither men nor women should were shorts(although you can in more western parts of Cairo such as Maadi) as both will receive unwanted attention! A male friend of mine received cat calls and kissing noises from Egyptian men mocking the shorts.

I felt that at the end of the 2nd year that the anti-american sentiment was definitely rising. I saw it in the form of posters, t-shirts displayed in shop windows in a very "American" part of the city. The signs usually implied that America was the same as Israel and neither was well-liked. However, I stuck to my "i'm a canadian" line and carried on. An ex-colleague of mine(Northern Irish) was on the metro during the war and an angry mob, starting with an old lady, began shouting at him making reference to Bush, America, etc. What can I say, they're passionate when it comes to sharing their political opinions. The government is also very concerned about maintaining their foreign investment. You are well taken care of and AUC is especially careful when it comes to all of this.

Many friends are still there and intend to stay for a good while. It is a wonderful country on some days and quite the opposite on others as you will experience ongoing culture shock. We called them "Cairo Moments". Those are what make it memorable.

If you can get the fellowship, take it and enjoy. There are loads of jobs going in Cairo at the moment. Hope all this info is helpful!

[xnihil]

[stoth1972]

Jonah: My colleague's comments at the time were that the classes were not conducted in the way that she had hoped(that's quite vague) and she wasn't pleased with the quality of lecturers. I don't have her email any longer or I'd put you in touch with her. I can speak from my own experiences when I say that even paying for a top-notch education hasn't guaranteed me the quality of a Masters I was hoping for. Good luck. If I hear more I'll post it here.

[rana]

Hi Jonah,
Everything you have read about AUC and Cairo is true. I live in cairo (Zamalek) and was a TEFL Fellow, until I thought I had it w/ Cairo/ classes and dropped out after completing my graduate diploma. Then I got married to a great American prof from AUC (who you actually emailed, the guy w/the great webpage- we forgot to email you back) and I am still here and much more content. I will actually be your colleague in TEFL in the Fall but not as a Fellow, I have a faculty spouse scholarship.

Armenian wife: there is a huge Armenian community here, even an Armenian TEFL Fellow -she is really cool, and the TEFL secretary is Armenian (it's almost a Big Fat Armenian Wedding, J/K). As long as your wife isn't fluent in Arabic then the cat calls and harassment shouldn't bother her too much. I understand everything said to me so it sucks sometimes. But when I walk with my husband I am not hassled much.

Hostel vs. Housing: if you can find housing on the measly/ miserly fellowship money you get, though I hear it has increased from 2 years ago, then great. There aren't any cooking facilities in the dorms and this kept me from the hostel, but now we live in the building, faculty flats are on the top floors. I appreciate the cleanliness and A/C.

Education: It ain't UCLA, my alma mater. I had trouble w/the courses b/c I had higher expectations. My BA is in Linguistics so I was also exmepted from some prereqs which created room for more electives. The year I was their was particularly challenging- 2 profs on sabbatical, the whole year I had 2 profs for 6 courses! I kept hearing much of the same stuff. I think this is some of why I decided to leave at one point. I also found comraderie and scholarly exchanges lacking among peers, etc. My whole reason for staying in Cairo then was the program, and most internationals were there for Cairo not nec. the education. That was the impression I had. I was studious, got high grades.

BUT, much of that will not apply to you. And my friends/ Fellows who finished this year say things have improved in the dept. Hey, I am going back. As my husband says, "the secret to happiness in Egypt is to have low expectations." One minute means 30, tomorrow means next week, inshallah means when pigs fly ... now I am teasing

Mostly I was irritated about my standard of living, tired of living in poverty (after rent I had less than $90/ month for food/ transportation -I didnt take out loans) and moved 3x's in 9 months -it was just too much stress.

Anyhow, that is the lowdown on the AUC thing. Before AUC I worked at an International School and made decent $$ for Egypt. I travelled a lot and went out more b/c I could afford to. It was great the Red Sea, camping in the deserts, etc. This year I was much happier (note the poverty thing discussed earlier). I think next Fall I will be back with the best of both worlds, my housing situation is settled and life will be less frantic than my Fellow days.

Email me if you want, I think you should bring your wife, btw. There are many opps for her to be involved here, have her email me.

[email protected]

***** BTW we need to sublet/ share a place in Atlanta this summer -anyone know of anything? Thanks ***************