One of the best times of my life Past Review

By (IR, Tufts University) - abroad from 02/01/2011 to 06/07/2012 with

Tel Aviv University: Undergraduate Semester / Year in Israel

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about and experienced the real Israel (good stuff and bad). Definitely worthwhile. Tel Aviv is one of the most beautiful and exciting cities I have been too.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Depends on which courses you choose. 3/6 of my classes were Tufts quality. 2/6 where easy, but college quality. 1/5 was too easy.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Really awesome people, cool programs, had a great time. Israel is really laid back and therefore super unorganized and not professional.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Better than Tufts.

* Food:

TAU did not have a meal plan. Big let down. But we had super markets and a kitchen, which was great, but expensive.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt safer in Tel Aviv than Medford.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Expensive city.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100+
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Just have fun. You will figure it out.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We had a required "Ulpan" or intensive Hebrew language course everyday for a week from 8am to 3pm, but Tufts doesn't give you credit for it.

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? Hebrew 21
How many hours per day did you use the language?

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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Beautiful country
  • Actually learned a lot, but didn't have to work at hard as Tufts
  • Night life
* What could be improved?
  • -
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I made many friends, but wish I had branched out and met even more people.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.