On the way to UAE; to study abroad at American University of Sharjah

By Kyle Jackson

Marhabaan friends. My name is Kyle Jackson and I spent a semester as an international exchange student at American University of Sharjah (AUS) from Howard University in Washington D.C. In my last blog I shared my experience on how I decided to study abroad, the application and approval process and how I chose and ended up at the American University of Sharjah. Today I want to continue where we left off last time and share a little bit on the actual journey to the United Arab Emirates, to Sharjah and to American University of Sharjah.

After making the decision to study abroad at American University of Sharjah last fall, I was not done yet, there were several steps I had to finish in the United States before I could leave to the United Arab Emirates.

First I had to make sure that the International Exchange Office at AUS had all of my documents including copies of my passport, birth certificate, and my home university official transcript.

All of these documents were submitted on time for review and when they had been processed, I was notified that they were alright.

Second the more difficult step was going through the course list to make sure that the course that would be offered at AUS during the Fall 2017 semester matched what was listed on my program providers’ class list and that they would be transferable to my home university when I return.

In this process I discovered that the majority of courses I wanted were available except for one course which is a necessary course for my graduation.

So if you are considering to study abroad, always make sure you get approved for more classes than what you need for graduation because there is always a possibility of not getting a course you need. You also need to make sure that the list of courses offered on your program provider is up to date.

Finally, the time came when I had the excitement of doing the best part of this whole process, and that is packing for an entire semester abroad. I had received a packing checklist from the International Exchange Office at American University of Sharjah and I used that list when I was packing to make sure that I wouldn’t over pack or leave behind anything that would be necessary.

The best piece of advice I can give to people going to study abroad is, do not over pack. You might regret it. So be sure to follow the checklist you get plus necessary personal needs.

After all these steps were completed summer was over and I was already on the way to the Airport to start my semester abroad at American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates.

Maʿal-salāmah friends.

Kyle Jackson was an exchange student at American University of Sharjah from Howard University in Washington D.C. He applied to study abroad at American University of Sharjah through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)

For more information about American University of Sharjah, please visit www.aus.edu