Reviews of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) | Israel

Useful | 0

ermp

George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Religion/Theology, Undergraduate, Independent

Student life

Describe host city:

Student life dominates the city

Activities: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment

Travel, Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment

Personal social experience

Activities

Nightlife

Travel

Overall

Personal comments

Nothing beats the campus pub gaos! You can also catch recent movies on campus for 15 shekels (3 bucks).

Useful | 1

ermp

George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Religion/Theology, Undergraduate, Independent

Housing

Type of housing: On campus

Arranged by: Host university

If returning, I would choose: On campus

Why?

it's cheap, it's easy to make friends. There's a laundry room, computer room, grocery store, and BAR!

Personal assessment

Cost

Facilities

Location

Cleanliness

Space

Personal comments

none

Useful | 0

ermp

George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Religion/Theology, Undergraduate, Independent

Academic

Course recommendations

Mark Gelber's classes are great.

My academic experiences

Quality of courses

Variety of courses

Access to resources

Interaction with teachers

Interaction with international students

Interaction with local students

Personal comments

nope

My opinion of the university assessment

Exams at end of course

Exams throughout the course

Essays and/or projects at the end of course

Essays and/or projects throughout the course

Overall

Useful | 0

ermp

George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Religion/Theology, Undergraduate, Independent

Languages

Language of instruction: Hebrew

Local language was: Different than language of instruction

Was learning Hebrew a key decision factor?

Yes, I wanted to improve my Hebrew

Was learning the local language a key decision factor?

Yes, I wanted to improve my the local language

How much did you improve your Hebrew?

My level before: Basic phrases
My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)

How much did you improve your the local language?

My level before: Basic phrases
My level after: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)

Language difficulties

Social

Educational

Administrative / Institutional

Overall

Personal comments

I do not like how they teach hebrew. Not enough info was given at a time and there wasn't enough tests. I definetly feel I need to be tested a lot in order to force myself to learn. NOt enough is stressed on vocab words because most of the lessons involve grammer.

Useful | 0

ermp

George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Religion/Theology, Undergraduate, Independent

Overall

I wish I had known...

It can get cold in the winter.

In my opinion:

Most people loved it.

Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important

Academic reasons

2

Culture

4

Costs

4

Activities

3

Campus life

4

Party / people

3

Weather / location

4

Personal recommendation

You have the most oppurtunities to meet and become friends with Israelis at Ben Gurion because everyone lives with Israelis! The class sizes are small and it's just an amazing experience! It's also VERY easy and SAFE to travel from BGU because of the accesability of the train (10 minutes walk).

During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot

Became familiar with another culture

4

Traveled

4

Improved language skills

3

Met people from other countries

3

Became more independent

4

Partied a lot

4

Experienced a change in life

4

Advanced my studies & career

4

Final comments

Enjoy every second you're there. Don't be afraid. It is safter than most countries. You never feel as if you'll get attacked on the streets like you do in most major cities. Enjoy the dairy and veggies and fruits...they'll never taste so good again! If you can do anything that involves working with the communtiy definetly try it out (i.e. volunteering with Bedouin children, volunteering with the rescue squad etc.). Tried to force your roommates to make you speak hebrew instead of english. Make a big effort to become close with your roommates because they will be your easiest way of learning about Israeli culture.

Useful | 0

ermp

George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Religion/Theology, Undergraduate, Independent

Expenses

Main source of funding:

A private grant

Other sources of funding:

Government assistance<br> Other

Work opportunities:

I didn't explore any work options

Personal spending habits

Food and cost of living is much cheaper! Travel is also much cheaper, but I just did it more often. Phone was more because I called the states a lot and in America I only call w/in the country.

Telephone:

was more expensive than at home.

Travel:

was the same price as at home.

Housing, Nightlife, Overall, Food:

was less expensive than at home.

Accessibility of student needs

Second-hand text books