Junior year, second semester of college, I had it all planned out: I was going to study indigenous cultures in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.
But, just weeks before the start date, it was cancelled due to low enrollment.
I started from scratch with my study abroad program search, and thought of where I’d want to go in the world. I decided I wanted to go to Israel.
From there I applied to a program at the University of Haifa, and got in for my first semester senior year.
THE PROGRAM
I spent the first six weeks living on a kibbutz, an agriculture-based collective living community. I studied Hebrew five days a week, volunteered in the garden and with the calves, traveled on weekends, and started to fall in love with this beautiful country.
About 25 of us students lived in an apartment building together, and spent out free time walking through the kibbutz, swimming in the pool, and sharing meals with host families.
From there we went to the university. (Well, we had a 10-day break in between kibbutz living and the university; I went to Greece with two girlfriends and ate lots of delicious food and had lots of silly adventures.)
Most who choose to study abroad in Israel go to Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Their universities are more well-known, and they’re in big cities.
But Haifa, a smaller city, attracted a smaller crowd who wanted something different. Haifa is known as having strong relationships between Arabs and Jews, and the university had the kibbutz program (which was fairly unique), and we got to live in dorms with Israeli students.
I shared a flat with two Americans and three Israelis, getting much more immersed in the culture than I might have been in a different city, where I probably would have been housed only with Americans.
I have beautiful memories from my travels in Israel – sleeping under the stars on a beach on the Sea of Galilee, spending holidays with my cousins who live in Jerusalem, reaching the summit of a hike and seeing the Dead Sea, finally being able to speak enough Hebrew to buy groceries at the outdoor markets.
The whole experience was truly incredible.
BENEFITS TO STUDYING ABROAD
I had never heard of the concept of studying abroad until I got to college, but once I learned about it (and had the travel bug after a backpacking trip through Europe the previous summer – more on that another time), I knew I had to study abroad.
The benefits are immense:
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Meeting new people
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Seeing the world
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Getting “out there”, physically and emotionally
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Cultural immersion
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Being away from home
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Learning a new language (unless you’re in an English-speaking country)
CAN’T AFFORD IT?
Studying abroad is not for everyone.
It can be expensive (though many schools have their own study abroad programs, which allows you to use financial aid or scholarships towards the program).
It also takes up time, and sometimes you really just need to be on campus to get in your credits.
There are alternatives though…
Look into a summer study abroad program, which costs less and takes less time.
Try a winter program during your holiday break.
Look into doing a study abroad program after graduating. While you may no longer need the credits, you can still get the same experience of living abroad.
If you’re still in college and are toying with the idea of studying abroad, I recommend it highly. When I got back to school for my last semester, I was more focused on my studies, and was even more hooked on travel.
It’s funny. At first I was disappointed that the northwest coast program was cancelled, but now, I can’t imagine what my life would be like had I not studied abroad in Israel. Now I just have to sort out getting back there.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay! I love study abroad programs! I’m currently studying abroad for my third time, and obviously, I would highly recommend it as well. The first time I studied abroad absolutely changed my life and my perspective on American culture. It really taught me to appreciate the little things (like hot water and being outside in nice weather), and I fell completely in love with Spain. This time around, I am in London, and I am taking these four (now three) months to just embrace the unexpectedness of life. Life is such a gift, and the newness of everything while studying abroad makes it hard to take anything for granted. Love it!
Yes – the newness is a big part of it. Isn’t it exhilarating to have new adventures every day? I love that you’re studying abroad as part of your law program. I think most people only think to study abroad during undergrad, but it must be fun to study abroad all over again.
That sounds like such an enriching experience. I still kick myself for not studying abroad for a semester. I should have, and it would have been awesome. Sigh…
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Tiff! There are always other ways to get abroad. I’ll write about volunteering abroad in the coming months, and even if you only have a week (or maybe less?), you can still have an enriching experience in a different country.
In high school we had students in my senior class from Finland, Sweden, Vietnam, and France. I made friends with the girl from Finland since I am mostly of Finnish ancestory. Can’t speak a lick of the Finnish language but I did have a chance to visit my friend while on a business trip. I wish I could have stayed longer! My college did not have a study abroad program, most diplomas and applied degrees were only 2 years, no time to spend anywhere but at school. My summer job had two guys from Africa learning the trade before returning to work off-shore, guess there are opportunities everywhere!
Studying (or working) abroad takes a good amount of confidence in yourself that you will make it alone
That’s so true. I have friends who weren’t able to study abroad, or chose not to, but still find all kinds of opportunities, if they want them. Getting to work and study with people from other countries is also a great way to get to know different cultures, for sure.
My family giggles when I talk to them on the phone or Skype, I’ve aquired a hint of Texas twang. I never thought the US would be all that different from Canada, but I’ve learned to appreciate the cultural differences. I think living here has only amplified the Canadian culture I see or hear about back home.
You’re close to the border, right? Plus NYC has all sorts of people, eh? (See, I can still sound Canadian
)
That’s pretty funny. I can see a Texas twang being pretty hard to avoid.
Yeah, not too far from the Canadian border, though I don’t meet too many Canadians around here…I seem to be far more Russians and English than anyone else these days.
I definitely agree with you! Studying abroad is one of the best opportunities, and it is something to think about whether one is in college or out of college. It’s so wonderful to learn about some of your experiences there! Sleeping under the stars on the beach on the Sea of Galilee sounds breathtaking! Are you still in contact with friends you met there?
I am still in touch with friends from my program – one roommate from the kibbutz program, and one roommate from the university apartment. We try to see each other and catch up by phone when we can, and it’s amazing to think that we’ve already been friends for over ten years.
I definitely agree, my university offered a decent number of options for studying and, though certainly not as I planned (like you), my year abroad was INCREDIBLE. Bst of all, it actually cost me less, studying in the Middle East, with a low cost of living (likely not true in Europe, etc.) than it would have cost me to go to my own school, because housing and food was so much cheaper… even with travel.
That’s excellent. For me, too, it was cheaper to study abroad in the Middle East than to stay at school in the States, and it was so worth it.