Hebrew U Spring Past Review
By Sara R (International Relations and Affairs., Wellesley College) for
Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Rothberg International School: Undergraduate Study Abroad Program
Yes, but in different way than I expected.
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. |
The workload was not evenly balanced, leaving me with dozens of pages to write for finals. Students here are not expected to do requested readings for class and therefore there is little discussion during class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They don't have a large enough administration to handle the amount of students that they are dealing with. Considering that it is a school that caters primarily to American and Canadians, they should mold the style of education to better transfer back to American institutions, but they don't. Just disorganized overall. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms are pretty nice. Apartment style with singles, but they are not conducive to being social. I felt really isolated in my room at first because I had 4 Israeli roommates who were not particularly friendly. Also, you are not given anything to furnish your room with besides the bed and desk so it is hard for the first couple of days before getting to the store. |
| * Food: |
There is a grocery store nearby. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
independence day, remembrance day. Akko, the dead sea |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Food is really expensive, I would spend 50 dollars on groceries a week. Besides that I spent just a little money on transportation. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | none |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Everyone speaks English. The Arabic program is horrible but is in the process of being changed. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | you have to be willing to put in the work to get to know people, to explore and to learn. They won't hand it to you on a silver platter. |
