Study Abroad in Jerusalem Past Review
By Emily N (Biology and Mathematics, Tufts University) for
Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Rothberg International School: Undergraduate Study Abroad Program
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2008 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were extremely interesting and usually were related to Israel and its history; however, they tended to be a bit easy and basic at times. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration is effective if you are patient and persistent... |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in an apartment with two other Americans and two Israeli students. The building was one of many located in a large "student village". <br /><br /> The housing situation was extemely good - I loved having the opportunity to live and interact with Israelis on a more casual. Many of the students were living in apartments made up of exclusively Americans though. The village is about a 20 minute walk from class. It is very close to a nice grocery store and is near bus stops for all of the major lines, so getting into Jerusalem is not a problem. |
| * Food: |
We were responsible for making our own food, but it really wasn't a problem since the apartments have a nice kitchen and there is a grocery store nearby. There are two falafel stands nearby and several places to eat on campus if you don't feel like cooking. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program organized many trips at the beginning and I strongly recommend taking advantage of them. Later in the semester I started traveling a lot on my own or with friends and I highly recommend that as well. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Obviously Jerusalem is not known to be the safest place and although there were a couple of terrorist attacks while I was there, I never at any time felt particularly unsafe. The people take so many precautions and there is so much security everywhere you go that you don't really worry about it too much. As for the health care system, I only had to deal with it once, but it was a very positive experience. The system worked effeciently and my school provided insurance was acccepted without problems. |
| 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? | I spent around 500 dollars a month |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | This included food, activities and travel expenses (I traveled a fair amount, so these might be lower for someone else). The only major unexpected cost was for the internet - it is not provided and if you subscribe, it is almost $50 per month - we ended up buying a router for our apartment and splitting the cost which made it more manageable. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My Hebrew improved tremendously...I had Israeli roommates and they were always willing to help me and practice with me, so that helped a lot. |
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 take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The program is very good overall, especially if you want to live in and truly experience Jerusalem. The location also provides easy access to the rest of the country so travel isn't difficult. |
