Hey all! My name is Ian McVann-Henkelmann. I’m a sophomore at the Elliott School of International Affairs, double majoring in International Affairs and Computer Science, and this marks my (almost) halfway point studying this spring semester in the United Arab Emirates at the American University of Sharjah. This will be my first of two posts, and I just wanted to walk through some of the things I’ve been up to to hopefully encourage some of y’all to go abroad to a place a little more unfamiliar. I have no regrets.
When I first arrived in the UAE after a brief 20-hour flight (it was horrid), I wasn’t really sure what to expect. While most people outside the
UAE are probably familiar with the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the American University of Sharjah (AUS) is located in Sharjah, the most Islam-focused emirate, about 30–40 minutes from Dubai (varying heavily on traffic). Upon entering the UAE, I hadn’t really heard of Sharjah, but over the next few weeks, I got to know it really well. The International Exchange Office (IXO) of the AUS had a bunch of activities planned, and myself along with the other ~25 exchange students from all over the world got pretty used to the emirate and also ventured around Dubai in those first couple days.
That’s not to say there wasn’t any culture shock. While everyone was (surprisingly?) welcoming—and I mean everyone—taxi drivers, random people on the street—it was odd—there were definitely some changes I had to get used to. The area is very culturally Islamic, and as such, modesty is very important. The university dress code forbids shorts, and in the 100+ F temperatures of the UAE in the summer, that can get pretty rough. It took me a bit to get used to that, but some of the cultural differences were pretty nice as well. For example, Sharjah has a four-day work week because of the holy day on Friday, which means we only have classes four days a week as well. As someone with a pretty packed schedule back home, I certainly am going to miss having the day off.
Academically, the university is very similar to GW. Every class I have feels like one I could have taken at a US university, and honestly, there aren’t any major differences besides maybe a tad less writing. The professors are great, though they’re a bit stricter on attendance here than in the US. If you get five absences, you’re dropped from the class (though this varies heavily depending on the professor). Beyond that, no complaints here. Credits are basically the same, and the exams I’ve taken have been about the same level, if not easier. Everything is taught in English, which I greatly appreciate as someone who does not speak a lick of Arabic.
In my opinion, the number one reason to study abroad is the opportunity to have new cultural experiences and meet new people. You can learn about international affairs almost anywhere; you might as well do it somewhere where you’ll have the opportunity to make some great friends and experience some unique things (dad lore?). Beyond the trips we take almost every two weeks here with the IXO, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a lot of cool events. A couple weeks ago, the university hosted its annual Global Day, which is the biggest event of the year and celebrates every culture. Every cultural club runs a booth for their country with free food and there’s some crazy cultural dance performances. Was I half deaf the day after? Of course. Did I go back the next day? Absolutely.
Being abroad also makes international travel a whole lot cheaper. I went to Kuwait a few weeks ago for a weekend with some of the other exchange students, and it was like $30 for flights. Traveling from the US, that same flight would’ve cost at least a thousand, so it’s definitely something to take advantage of. Inside the UAE there are some great places to go as well. Two weeks ago, I went to Khorfakkan (a mountain coastal town) with some of the guys and hiked a small mountain and went swimming in the ocean. This kind of experience would never have been possible had I been at GW.
I think that’s the major benefit of going abroad. You can meet new people, you can go to new places, and you can live a life you wouldn’t normally live. So get out there, go do it, and make some great stories.
Ian McVann-Henkelmann
Spring 2024
GW Exchange - American University of Sharjah
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs and Computer Science Double Major