Is Morocco a good place for a young American woman college student ?

My daughter is a college student and is considering studying abroad for a semester in Rabat. I'm concerned, first, that she may not be safe, given the recent bombings, etc. Most people say she will be, but some have told me life is oppressive for young women and her study abroad might be enriching, but won't be enjoyable because she will have little freedom (the school arranges for her to live with a family). She will be 20 when she goes, but looks younger. Any thoughts? Has anyone studied at the university in Rabat? Anyone from the US?

If your daughter is in college already then I suggest strongly that you explore exchange programme at Al Akhawayn university in Ifrane Morocco. Check their WWW.
hassani

Hey, what's up?
I m young man from chicago (21 Y.O), I m moroccan and i know both countries and both cultures: Don't generalize, if one group of bad moroccan people kill innocent peolpe do not mean that all moroccans are killers:whereever you go there's the good and the evil ...
send her there, she will absolutely like it and i hope she will learn something from a different culture( different music,language,way of thinking..) But make sure to contact the family that she will stay with. But i suggest Alakhawayne universiy, the city of IFRANE is really safe. Please be sure to tell here to stay away from radical islamic people which live mostly in poor neighboorhoods and absolutely not walking alone at night(past 10:00), and stay with young educated people which usually live in rich neighboorhoods.( there are alot that love american culture including music and hobbies)and
onceshe find them, she should stick with them..
Morocco is a safe country especially if she makes friends that can help her and advise her.

Dear Marylin,
I am a Moroccan young man, aged 22 years .
Actualy , Morocco is a save place to visit and study in because people here are so friendly,generous ,comprehensive ,and open-minded ,and foreigners are always welcomed ,which makes Morocco a good destination for everybody worldwide.
To my mind , there is no harm in letting your daughter going on with her stuydies in Morocco .
Zakaria

I think if your daughter wants to study in Morocco for a semester, she will enjoy every minute and the Moroccan hospitality will welcome her with open arms. I am an American woman who has visited Rabat and has experienced the kindness of the Moroccan people firsthand. Rabat is an exotic, yet very cosmopolitan capital city. Currently, my fiance is studying at the Universite Mohamed V in Rabat. The program there is rigid and intensive by all accounts. I know that the university in Iframe mentioned in earlier posts, although not located in a large city, hosts many international students and has Americans serving on its faculty.

As far as your daughter's freedom is concerned, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Many Americans(I can only speak about Peace Corps) have lived with host families for months, some in of them in their 50's. None of which have ever complained that they felt their freedom was restricted. In fact, I would think your daughter would be safer in a Moroccan family that will always look out for her best interests and make sure she has a warm meal everynight. I envy the opportunity she is afforded now, as I would have never considered visiting Morocco when I was that age. It just never occurred to me.

And if you have the time to visit her, please do. My fiance and I plan to spend our honeymoon in Marrakech and Essaouira, two diverse cities that are rich in Moroccan history and culture and are a must see for any visitor. If I can recommend a book to you about Morocco, check out former Peace Corps volunteer Orin Hargraves "Culture Shock Morocco". It introduces the customs and etiquettes of Morocco, as well as giving the "outsider" an up close and personal view of life in Morocco and how to live there.

All the Best,
Chris

I am a Moroccan and you daughter will enjoy 101 per cent her experience and studies in morocco if she will need something in Rabat she can just contact me on:isitstudent@hotmail.com
You are thousands welcome
Bet regards,
aziz