Happy first day of class! Well, I guess that it’s more like happy midterms at Rollins. For me, the first day of class was just a week ago. The Israeli semester runs from October to January, because it starts after the Jewish new year! This is good because it meant I had a 5-week fall break between my language intensive and the actual semester, but it also means I really don’t get a winter break. But who needs winter break when you are going from a Mediterranean climate to Florida anyway?
My classes here at Tel Aviv University are both interesting and relevant to where I am. I take a Hebrew class every morning at 8:30, which is not always easy but I am able to speak, write, and comprehend at a much higher level than when I left for Israel. My other classes focus on the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as the collective memory and the effect that the trauma of this conflict has had on the population. I am even taking an Israeli Cinema course where we watch a popular film every week and then discuss how it relates to the culture and ideology of Israel. One thing I have realized though is how important the small class size at Rollins really is to my education. Because I have to take my courses in English, my classmates range from other study abroad students to students obtaining a bachelor’s degree in English through the university, and students in the master’s program. My classes have about 50 – 70 students, and the teaching style is more lecture based. I think in terms of studying abroad, the size and teaching style of my class never really came to mind like it did when I was applying to college in the first place. It’s not bad by any means, but definitely something I have to get used to.
The best part of my class schedule is that I only have class Monday thru Thursday. This means I have three days to explore and travel every weekend. This past weekend, I hiked Masada and floated in the Dead Sea, and spent Sunday shopping in Geula in Jerusalem. Because I was fortunate enough to go to Europe over my fall break, I am spending most weekends in different areas of Israel and the Middle East.
The crazy thing is my semester just started and I only have two months left! How is this even possible? Israel actually feels like home. It’s a different feeling than Rollins-home and a different home than Georgia home, but I have grown to love Israel and everything about it.