Best decision I ever made. Past Review
By Dylan Maud (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/24/2017 to 06/01/2017 with
Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Rothberg International School: Arabic Immersion Program
I became more religious and began the official process of my Jewish Conversion. I made friends that I will always stay in touch with. And I learned how to travel for cheap.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
They need to dramatically improve their teaching methods for the Arabic language. I spent the majority of the time doing my own thing without much course work involved. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administrators were always available and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living for on-campus apartments was not great. The could easily administer a program for students who want to live in the city or anywhere off campus. |
| * Food: |
Israeli food is always amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Jerusalem was difficult to get used to, but it was an amazing experience for me. It eventually felt like I was home. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They really make care of your health. |
| * Safety: |
The numerous IDF soldiers walking everywhere made me feel safe, especially in East Jerusalem when I wanted to hang out in the Old City. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would not do the Arabic Immersion Program. I would go for something else, but I would most definitely go back to Jerusalem for pretty much anything. |
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) |
UT-Austin did nothing at all to make sure that I had enough money to cover the cost. I applied for several scholarships and received nothing. Studying abroad is a requirement for my major, and the study abroad office, advising, and the university seems to think that its okay to just send students out into the world with absolutely no support whatsoever. They can do better to provide funding for low income students and self-supporting students. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $4,000. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | avoid souvenir shopping. always stay in a hostel when traveling, and take every deal that you can find. |
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 |
the program easily spoke english way too often. there was no reinforcement of the language at all. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Arabic III |
| 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? | If studying Arabic, go to Morocco or Jordan. |
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?
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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? | set up a bank account in the country. It will make accessing money so much easier. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
