A challenging experience; one to make the most of. Past Review
By John O (Political Science, Tulane University) - abroad from 01/21/2013 to 06/01/2013 with
Tel Aviv University: Undergraduate Semester / Year in Israel
I gained a fundamentally new knowledge of the relationship between Israel and the United States. For those looking to challenge themselves, Israel provides many options. For those looking to party all the time, that is also an option.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academic rigor was appropriate for study abroad, however the office was disorganized and resources were fairly limited. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Fairly disorganized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Dorms were eh, no elevators, staff was rude. |
| * Food: |
Israeli food is delicious, though getting to restaurants in the city was not very easy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This depends a lot on the student and not the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no issues though I heard plenty of tough stories. |
| * Safety: |
It's Israel, safety is very good. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Tel Aviv is a really expensive city. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | 1 |
| 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? | Meet friends in Israel and just use it. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | I wish I knew that the university was in a far away suburb from the city and that the food was really really expensive there. |
