Official Arabic/Middle Eastern Applicants 2012 Thread

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God i'm not actually sure - should probably look into it ahaha (embarrassed). Sorry to keeping going back to it but goddd blooody exeter - What are they up to?!!

Hahaa yeah you probs should lol. Lucky you didn't go there in December last year! When everything was kicking off! Lol. I know...so frustrating! Arabic is hardly a huge department :/

Reply 61

Marina72

Original post by Please Register

just out of interest how many are muslims here?

Haha . I'm not..

Reply 62

brownie94

Original post by Please Register

just out of interest how many are muslims here?

me neither

Reply 63

I Kant Spall

I'm an Arabic applicant but I'm not doing UCAS since I'm applying to only American colleges/unis... may I still monitor this thread? :h:

Also, best of luck with your offers!

Reply 64

Please Register

Original post by Marina72

Haha . I'm not..

Ok. Can I ask your motivation for learning Arabic?

I'm just curious sorry. Ignore me if you want.

Reply 65

I Kant Spall

Original post by Please Register

Ok. Can I ask your motivation for learning Arabic?

I'm just curious sorry. Ignore me if you want.

I'm also not religious, but there are plenty of secular reasons for wanting to learn Arabic. It's really quite a rewarding language from an exotic, yet nonetheless widespread culture.

The food:

Spoiler

The architecture:

Spoiler

The people:

Spoiler

The literature:

Spoiler

Oh, did I post that? I meant this... :sexface:

Spoiler

Reply 66

ziggy246

ah yeah ive been to oman a few times and morocco once, i literally loved them both so much!! oman made me want to learn arabic - except omani arabic accents are quite unattractive haha

I just sent my application off today for Middle Eastern studies at Exeter. I've lived in Oman for 3 years (best years of my life) did you find your visits a great topic to mention in your personal statement?

Reply 67

chloew94

Original post by ziggy246

I just sent my application off today for Middle Eastern studies at Exeter. I've lived in Oman for 3 years (best years of my life) did you find your visits a great topic to mention in your personal statement?

Did you live in muscat? Yeah I mentioned it but mostly talked about other stuff like books I read... Oman is like my life.

Reply 68

chloew94

Original post by Please Register

just out of interest how many are muslims here?

not mee

Reply 69

ziggy246

Original post by chloew94

Did you live in muscat? Yeah I mentioned it but mostly talked about other stuff like books I read... Oman is like my life.

Yes my dad was in the navy. After 3 years we came back to the UK and my dad stayed and got a job with Oman Sail. I go out and visit him twice a year which keeps me sane lol :smile:

. Ye i mentioned some Arab poetry I've read. ''Oman is like my life'' its so good to hear someone say that. Most people I meet think it's weird I have such an attachment to a country.

Reply 70

chloew94

Original post by ziggy246

Yes my dad was in the navy. After 3 years we came back to the UK and my dad stayed and got a job with Oman Sail. I go out and visit him twice a year which keeps me sane lol :smile:

. Ye i mentioned some Arab poetry I've read. ''Oman is like my life'' its so good to hear someone say that. Most people I meet think it's weird I have such an attachment to a country.

have you been anywhere else in the middle east? might go to jordan this summer which would be pretty exciting! yeah i read an arabic book in translation, a book about muhammad and some persian poetry (didnt realise it was persian..)

Reply 71

ziggy246

Original post by chloew94

I've been to Qatar and Dubai but that's about it. Ye I was thinking of spending my summer in Nizwa catching up with some old friends, but if i get some money together I might spend a week or 2 in Beirut or Jordan.

Reply 72

chloew94

Original post by ziggy246

haha nizwa! I went there for the day this summer! my family drove down there by ourselves and everyone at our hotel was really worried we'd like die or something because they werent used to people leaving the hotel....

Reply 73

ziggy246

Original post by chloew94

Hahahaha oh god that's so true, which hotel did u stay in?. My dad was working on the Shangri la resort so we hung out by the pool for the day. Most of the people had been in the country for 3 weeks and not left the hotel.

Reply 74

chloew94

Original post by ziggy246

yep was the shangri la! we went into town most days as its generally a bit more exciting than doing nothing by a pool!!

Reply 75

ziggy246

Original post by chloew94

yep was the shangri la! we went into town most days as its generally a bit more exciting than doing nothing by a pool!!

that's very true there's so many interesting things to do i don't know why people just sit around :smile:

. Did you visit Nizwa on a Friday?

Reply 76

chloew94

Original post by ziggy246

that's very true there's so many interesting things to do i don't know why people just sit around :smile:

. Did you visit Nizwa on a Friday?

cant say i remember - probably not!! should i have..?

Reply 77

ziggy246

Original post by chloew94

cant say i remember - probably not!! should i have..?

well if you ever have the chance to revisit Nizwa i recommend going on a Friday. I went last summer on a Friday without realising that it was market day. Famers from the surrounding area gather in the center of the town to sell livestock. It's a hilarious sight to watch hundreds of small Omani children battle with stubborn goats and cattle who don't want to be sold.

Reply 78

I Kant Spall

Original post by I Kant Spall

I'm an Arabic applicant but I'm not doing UCAS since I'm applying to only American colleges/unis... may I still monitor this thread? :h:

Also, best of luck with your offers!

well, I guess I'm eating my words. in about a week I decided on my choices (see below), wrote a personal statement (PM if you're interested in seeing it), and sent it in.

Edinburgh - Arabic and Persian (T621)
Leeds - Arabic and Japanese (TT62)
Manchester - Middle Eastern Languages (Arabic and Persian) (T608)
SOAS - Arabic and Persian (T621)
St. Andrews - Arabic & Middle East Studies (T621)

Reply 79

sohoscribbler

May I advise very strongly that no one bothers with Persian at the moment at any British university, for the following reasons:

1. The year abroad is usually compulsory
2. The only realistic place to practise Persian on a year abroad is Iran
3. Universities will not allow students to spend a year abroad in a country that the Foreign Offices advises against visiting, which it does in the case of Iran
4. If you are unable to spend the compulsory (but impossible) year abroad in Iran, there is no guarantee that the university will allow you to switch to another subject.

Kafkaesque, I know, but that's the way the British university system works.