The Semester Of A Lifetime Past Review
By A student (Covenant College) - abroad from 10/08/2015 to 01/08/2015 with
University of Haifa: Study Abroad at Haifa International School
Challenging courses that really helped me not only learn about the host country and the conflict that has plagued it for so long, but also provided inspiration for potential further research for my Senior Thesis and other important projects in the future. Eye-opening exposure to a side of the conflict I had never seen before, which allowed to me to get even more out of my semester abroad. Wonderful cultural immersion in food, art, and other aspects that I will never forget.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed a very enriching semester abroad studying in Haifa with CIEE (the Council of International Educational Exchange) at the University of Haifa. I was given a wealth of intriguing information about the political and religious history of Israel at the University and I also learned more about the Palestinian perspective of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from my CIEE study program. I was particularly grateful for being given the opportunity to learn about the "other side" (Palestinian) of the conflict as an American student who had mostly heard only the Israeli side. I would highly recommend CIEE and the University of Haifa to anyone who would like a thorough first-hand understanding of this region of the world. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Professional and friendly staff who were willing to assist me however they could during my time in Haifa. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Internet access where I stayed was not always 100% reliable, but other than that, I was thoroughly satisfied with my living arrangements. |
| * Food: |
Food was amazing. No complaints here. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Enjoyed living closely with Arab students and getting to know them better over time. I really enjoyed how easy it was to make connections on campus with the local students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
As with most of my experience in Haifa, addressing unexpected illnesses was a cultural adventure. The University's health clinic was very helpful in prescribing what I needed and I was able to find the necessary items after exploring a bit throughout Haifa. The pharmacy staff in Haifa helped me overcome the language barriers to understand how to use certain medications and so my overall quality of experience was very similar to the high standard I would expect back in the USA. |
| * Safety: |
Although I never found myself in dangerous situations in Haifa or any other part of Israel or Jordan (where I visited Amman for a weekend), my study abroad program, CIEE, and the University of Haifa both provided helpful and up-to-date information on relevant threats as needed. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CIEE and the University of Haifa exceeded my cultural and academic expectations for my semester abroad experience. |
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) |
I was able to provide for all my basic needs and still have some money left over for miscellaneous expenses and leisure items. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approximately $50-60 USD. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | In my own experience, my study abroad coordinator with CIEE in Haifa gave me all the spending tips I needed to live comfortably during my semester abroad. That being said, I would say just spend within your means according to the cultural information you're given before and after you arrive in the host country. |
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 |
I took Modern Standard and Spoken Arabic at the University and was encouraged to use both whenever I could. I also had several opportunities to practice the language with natives that I met in Israel and Jordan, which helped me be more confident. |
| 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? | 102 level of Modern Standard Arabic. |
| 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? | Finding natives who speak the language fluently and can give you pointers on your weak areas is certainly ideal, even if you have to do some looking around. Repetition, especially with pronunciation is what any language course will harp on you to do, and for good reason. Having a solid grasp on your basic vocabulary will make your experience much better as well. |
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?
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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? | None. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
