Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

disappointing level of immersion for Middlebury Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 07/30/2016 to 12/23/2016 with

Ben Gurion University of the Negev: Beer Sheba - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Totally worthwhile. I met so many relatives and learned that I loved the Israeli culture. Had a great experience playing with the university basketball team.

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.

Not as rigorous as Middlebury, but not necessarily such a bad thing as it allowed me plenty of time to travel. Hebrew was great during the Ulpan, but then became less challenging during the semester. I recommend The Israeli Mosaic as a course - good overview of Israeli History from the Zionism to 1970.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Counselors were really nice. Everything was handled through the Overseas Student Program, which was not what I was hoping for though, as it was in English.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Wish I were living with native Hebrew speakers. Didn't feel immersed. Dorms were truly bare bones.

* Food:

No meal plan, but plenty of cheap, tasty options near campus.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Probably above average for an ordinary program, but way below Middlebury's standard. Would have been much better with a homestay.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

n/a

* Safety:

Beer Sheva felt perfectly safe. Never felt nervous

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would choose something to live with a family so that I could be truly immersed, whether that meant in a university program or volunteering at a kibbutz.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $125

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

Hebrew professor really encouraged Hebrew use. Counselors mostly spoke to me in Hebrew because I was at a high level. Otherwise, students all only spoke English, which made it hard to use Hebrew since I wasn't fully immersed.

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? 103
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? Live in a homestay. Extremely challenging to use Hebrew in the OSP. Really try to reach out and become friends with Israelis.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Israelis that I met
  • Counselors
  • Ulpan
* What could be improved?
  • Immersion
  • Coordination with Middlebury
  • Level of Hebrew during semester
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that the Israelis wouldn't arrive at the university until November 1. I also wish I new that I would not be living with Hebrew speakers.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

The Israeli Mosiac
Course Department: Overseas Student Program
Instructor: Gili Gofer
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I enjoyed the primary sources that we utilized. Gili was also really nice. Wish the other students did the reading. Would recommend.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Hebrew Dalet
Course Department: OSP Hebrew
Instructor: Irit Matmor
Instruction Language: Hebrew
Comments: Hebrew was great during the Ulpan with so many older, advanced European students. Wish that the level stayed that high during the semester, but it really slowed down (in part due to shorter hours).
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Independent Anthropology Work on McDonalds
Course Department: Anthropology
Instructor: Nir Avieli
Instruction Language: English, some Hebrew
Comments: Not super challenging, but gave me an opportunity to interact with locals in Hebrew. I was disappointed that Nir asked me to interview in English because he didn't trust my Hebrew, but I continued mostly in Hebrew anyways (many people couldn't speak English).
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Robotics Independent Study
Course Department: Mechanical Engineering
Instructor: Lana Waxman, David Zarrouk
Instruction Language: Hebrew, English
Comments: No advice from Professor Zarrouk, but advising student, Lana, was super nice and helpful. I enjoyed working with her, though at times it was a ton of work. It was a good opportunity to meet some other people in the lab.
Credit Transfer Issues: