My year at Hebrew U was the best year of my life! Past Review
By A student (Politics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 10/15/2015 to 06/26/2015 with
Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Rothberg International School: Undergraduate Study Abroad Program
I learned how to be truly independent, how to meet new people who are completely different from myself and open up to them and how to view people and customs with an open mind. It was very worthwhile.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had amazing professors who taught interesting courses while sharing about their experiences working in the context of Israeli politics and the Arab-Israeli conflict. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great security and relatively new dorms. |
| * Food: |
There are meals available in the cafeteria on campus as well as a grocery store right outside of the dorms. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We lived in Jerusalem, took public transportation and I met a good number of Israeli students studying at Hebrew University. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I had a health issue there were multiple people ready to help me navigate the Israeli insurance process. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe as campus always had security guards and metal detectors. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Certain food items are more expensive in Israel than in America while others are cheaper. Overall, groceries in Israel were probably the same price as in Waltham. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around $100 each week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Learn the public transportation system in advance. For example, purchasing a rav-kav saved me a lot of money on transportation but I did not know about it until second semester. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We had Hebrew class, outside of class it is up to the student to use Hebrew because English is also an option. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Insist on speaking Hebrew when you are in public speaking with Israelis despite their speaking to you in English. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew to purchase my tickets home as late as possible, since finishing final exams or essays from home is very difficult. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
