Most fun and Most Productive Month of my Life! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational benefit could not have been better! It was certainly intense, meeting 5 days a week for 4 to 5 hours a day, but for a serious student, there is so much to be gained by the constant immersion and the intensity. The programme offers multiple levels for students who may have an existing background in Hebrew, and for students who have never had any exposure to the language. The programme provided a "Moodle" filled with academic resources, there were Israeli students that could provided tutoring, the leaders set up homework clubs to work on homework together, and the instructors made themselves available for assistance. There was absolutely no shortage of resources available.

On-site administration of your program

The administration has the programme down to a science. Before you arrive in Israel, someone from the University's International School will be in contact with you letting you know what the steps are that you need to take, and advising you on what to do when you arrive in Israel. On the day before the courses actually begin there is an orientation in the morning where students go between stations including taking the written and oral placement exams, paying, setting up health insurance, and touring the campus. Later in the day there are sessions offered on how to use the WI-FI and how to print on campus, followed by a welcome ceremony that evening. During the welcome ceremony different members of the programme's administration speak and give some tips to the students. Before you leave the ceremony you will already know the results of your placement exam, and will know your class assignment.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I have family in Haifa, so I chose to live off campus, but it appeared like the living arrangements for students on campus were great. Students could choose between a single or a double room. As far as living off campus, I had absolutely no issues getting to and from the University. There is great public transportation in Haifa, which includes busses that run from the university to anywhere in the city. Anyone living off campus should not have any issues taking the bus to and from their course. The social activities coordinators are great at providing more information on bussing.

All Israeli food is amazing, but the food on campus was particularly good. There is a falafel restaurant on campus, as well as a cafeteria in the main building which has a buffet style salad bar, as well as an asian food restaurant, and a more middle eastern style restaurant. There is also an Aroma which always has great fresh food and coffee. There are so many other options too, those are just a few of the highlights

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Integrating into the local culture happened almost immediately. For students staying in the dorms they are living with Israeli students in the same building, or in some cases the same room. For students living off campus, they have interactions with the locals almost 24/7. While we are attending our classes there are still summer sessions of classes going on so we had quite a bit of interaction with Israeli students that way as well. The Social Activity Coordinators were very good about planning trips around the city, and around the country.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Fortunately, I did not run into an instance where I needed to obtain health care; however, we received insurance through Clalit which is Israel's largest health insurance provider, with clinics located all over the country, but most importantly with one located right on campus. Students were insured for the period of their time in the programme, but for students who wanted to stay in Israel after the end of the programme they could extend their coverage period. The one thing which was different from medical service in the US is that all patients, Israelis, tourists, and foreign students alike must have a referral to go to the hospital (except of course for life threatening conditions). Without a referral to the hospital from one of the Clalit clinics your insurance does not pay for it. This is not an issue with the University of Haifa at all, but just a difference between the health care systems in the US vs Israel.

Many people were concerned over safety when I told them I was going to study in Israel; however, safety and security are taken very seriously and there were no incidents what so ever. Haifa is in the North of the country far away from the areas that experience the occasional safety incident in the south of the country near the border with Gaza. Before entering any public building such as the university, the mall, or the grocery store everyone goes through medal detectors and has their bags searched, so security is taken very seriously. For any students traveling outside of Haifa the Social Activities Coordinators can advise you on any safety related concerns before your trip and can let you know if it is a good time to go to that particular location or not. On a side-note, it is forbidden for students to travel to the West Bank or Gaza while attending the course. The University implemented this policy as a safety precaution.

I had such a good time interacting with the other students who were passionate about learning Hebrew, and working with instructors who were just as passionate to help us learn! I improved so much over the month that I was there, and I will be coming back next year to continue my studies!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Expenses were not bad at all, you pay for the dorms or your other living arrangements ahead of time so the only expense you encounter is food, which is extremely affordable and any souvenir shopping you plan on doing. (All of the great trips around the country are included in the cost of tuition, so you don't pay anything extra to go!)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The concept of the programme was complete hebrew emersion. In the lower levels there is a lot more english with the instruction but, I was in one of the intermediate level classes, and there was almost no english used at all.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans
• International Students

• Hebrew Immersion
• Helpful Administration
• Passionate Instructors

• I honestly do not have a single bad word to say about the programme

The Academic or Linguist