Tel Aviv: My New Home Away From Home Past Review
By Hannah L (PSYCHOLOGY., University of Rochester) for
Tel Aviv University: Undergraduate Semester / Year in Israel
Absolutely. Going abroad was the best decision that I made in college. I wanted to go to Australia, but that didn't work out, but Israel exceeded my expectations. I became much more independent and my self-confidence grew significantly while I was abroad. I'm definitely more away of the political climate in the Middle East and now that I feel a stronger connection to Israel, I definitely invest a lot more of my time in Israeli causes and news.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some of my classes were very boring and painful to sit through. Others were very engaging and fun. Classes weren't very discussion based though and I would've liked to be able to participate more. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I needed help with changing dates for exams because I had to go home early and the head of the program was very rude and didn't want to help me. however, some of the other leaders were very helpful and were attentive to any other problems I had over the semester. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I wish they had told me earlier that I would be living in a hotel for the beginning because I was very worried that I would have to find my own housing |
| * Food: |
Two food stores on my street was very helpful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were many holidays and festivals while i was there and the program made sure everyone was aware that they were going on. The only thing is that they didnt really inform us where we could go to best experience these days. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I generally felt safe- I was always cautious considering I was in Israel but I never felt as if I was in harm's way. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I'm really not sure. I know that I spent a lot more on weekends when I would travel and I spent a lot more when I was outside of the country that I expected because you aren't aware of how much food costs when you have to eat out every meal |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It is hard to travel to a place and see all of these great things that you want to buy and realize that you cant afford everything. Some times I would buy things that I probably shouldn't have and I rationalized that it was okay because I didn't know if I would ever travel there again |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Beginning Classes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I think that they need to prepare us more with everyday vocabulary. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would say that Tel Aviv is definitely a party city that isn't necessarily for the calm, quiet type of person. There's a lot of action in the city, so be prepared to explore and have a lot of fun. Take advantage of long weekends, the transportation throughout the country, the opportunities that the program provides, and all of the cultural and religious holidays that occur. |
