The Unique Opportunities of an Unconventional Education: Reflections from Third-Year Dual Degree Students

Daniella Coen ‘24GS and Judah Wahba ‘24GS are part of the inaugural Dual Degree cohort. This fall, they arrived at Columbia University’s Morningside Heights campus to kick off their junior year. We recently spoke with Daniella and Judah about the most memorable moments of their Dual Degree journeys so far. 

What is your hometown and major(s)? 

Daniella: I grew up in Los Angeles but moved to Israel in 2016, and my major is psychology. 

Judah: I’m from Brooklyn, NY and I went to high school in Manhattan. I’m currently majoring in information science at Columbia and at TAU I majored in Middle Eastern Studies.

What drew you to the Dual Degree Program?

Daniella: I lived in Israel for the past six and a half years, and served in the Israeli military as an active-duty combat soldier in the Combat Field Intelligence Unit on the Egyptian and Jordanian borders. I originally heard about Columbia GS through friends with similar backgrounds and unordinary life paths to college, and I felt I could see myself here. But while I very much wanted to attend Columbia, I wasn’t ready to leave Israel quite yet, and I also found value in pursuing education in Israel in part due to the years I had already spent building a life there, and opportunities for further personal growth that I wouldn’t have in the U.S. in the same way. When I found out about the Dual Degree Program, it really was the best of both worlds for me; I could continue living in Israel, get an education from TAU—one of the best universities in Israel, and get an education from Columbia—one of the best universities in the U.S. 

Judah: I was always planning on spending a gap year in Israel, but when I found this program that would allow me to spend two years in Israel, I thought that was a really interesting and great opportunity. I also think that some things just happened to line up perfectly. For example, my dad actually went to medical school at TAU’s International School, and his program was relatively young when he went, so I was almost following in his footsteps by taking a similar gamble on a similar young, promising program. And then I actually got waitlisted to the program when I first applied, but I ended up officially getting in around mid-May and I dropped out of the other school I had enrolled in! I just felt “of course I’m going” from when I heard about the Dual Degree program. It was always my number one choice.

What were the best and most challenging parts of arriving at Tel Aviv University as a first-year student? 

Daniella: As a nontraditional student, I had already been living in Israel for quite a few years prior to my first year on the TAU campus. I already spoke the language and had many friends, both from the service and not, all around Israel. I was very integrated into the culture and society by that point. But I still faced a difficult transition entering into a new program with all new people—most of whom were quite a few years younger than me and most of whom were brand new to Israel, coming from all over the world. Adjusting to this new environment was probably the most challenging, especially because the first year of the program was during COVID-19, so we were all on Zoom. It was really difficult at first to bridge the gaps created by that digital and physical distance, but with the combination of the TAU campus’ open, outdoor layout, opportunities to meet people from within the Dual Degree and other programs, and smaller class sizes which facilitated ease in connecting with and becoming friends with everyone, it was eventually easy to get comfortable. 

Judah: I think the biggest challenge had to be COVID-19. When we arrived, it was September of 2020 and about a month after we started school we went into a full lockdown and we didn’t even really spend time on campus until the second semester. During that time though, it allowed a lot of us who were first-years in the program and living in the dorms to get very close. We would meet up and do classes together, eat meals together, and we just became friends really quickly. Even now without COVID-19, I heard that this kind of closeness is still the case in the program. I think we kind of set a blueprint, and now the community is staying like that. I was really grateful to be able to experience that with my classmates.

What has it been like coming to Columbia as a junior?

Daniella: Coming to Columbia this fall was so exciting. Entering as a new student to the campus but with junior status was a bit strange at first because you are, essentially, a freshman—knowing close to nothing about where anything is, how anything works, who your classmates are etc.. But after the first semester, and after some difficult moments, I was able to get my footing.

While I’m still learning new things about the school every day, I can say that now, in my second semester as a junior, I already feel totally comfortable here on campus and have found a great community and group of friends. GS students are really friendly and welcoming, and each person has such an interesting story, so there are endless connections to be made. Having the added scaffolding of friends and peers from the TAU Dual Degree Program coming to New York together in this joint experience definitely provided a soft landing coming to Columbia as a junior, and it’s so comforting to have so many familiar faces.

Judah: I grew up in Brooklyn and went to high school on the East Side of Manhattan, so I think going to TAU was more of a transition for me. But coming to Columbia, I was still thankful for all the friends I made in the program coming with me. I also have some friends who go to Columbia who I know from growing up in the city, so I actually have a larger social circle here. 

Academically, it’s different in that at TAU, you take an average of 20 credits a semester, so you’re going to be in class for a lot of hours, but there is less in-between class work. Here, I have a problem set due each week for all of my classes, so that was a bit of an adjustment. However, I was able to complete a lot of the Core Curriculum at TAU, so here I just have to do my Columbia major, a few credits that will transfer to my major at TAU, and some core classes. That means I’m taking a lot of information science courses here, so I think that’s why there’s such a difference in comparison to the more liberal arts courses I took at TAU.

On both campuses, what groups or activities have you been part of that have been most meaningful?

Daniella: I am part of the Intrapreneurial Leadership Fellows Program for GS female veterans and Barnard students alongside a few other really incredible women. We have multiple sessions throughout the year, and we engage in personal and professional development mini-seminars, activities, discussions etc. where we connect and build the skills and confidence to cultivate change and positive relationships in the professional world. This is a really cool space to be in, surrounded by the other amazing women who I feel I am constantly learning from and growing with. 

I also work as a college counselor and program coordinator for Columbia’s non-profit, Community Impact, working with low-income communities promoting opportunities for education. I also take part in the Chabad at Columbia University where I have been able to really feel at home as part of a Jewish community surrounded by wonderful people from very similar backgrounds, finding great friends and support.

Judah: I play volleyball, and so one of the extracurricular things I did in Tel Aviv was to find a Facebook group for volleyball on the beach. There are games every day, in the morning and at night, and I’d take advantage anytime I had free space in my schedule and go and play. I really enjoyed doing that and it helped me here too, because now I’ve joined Columbia’s club volleyball team and that’s a place I’ve made a lot of friends. 

Another thing my program friends and I did at TAU was to take weekend trips to different cities throughout Israel. It was really fun to just get to know the country. Israel has so much culture and history, you can go to basically any city and find amazing different sites and experiences. 

What advice would you have for other Dual Degree students, especially entering first-years and third-years headed to the Columbia campus?

Daniella: My advice to Dual Degree students as first-years and then making their way to campus for their junior year would be to take advantage of the opportunities around you. Israel and the TAU campus and NYC and the Columbia campus are in many ways two completely different worlds, and with that, come with their own unique opportunities. It’s really such a privilege to get to experience both, instead of four years in just one place. Take chances, branch out to different groups of people and places and activities, and get out of your comfort zone every chance you get!

Judah: I think it’s important to build a unique path through the program that works for you. In doing that, it can be helpful to talk to other Dual Degree students who are doing similar things that you are interested in. So, my advice would be to reach out to other students and ask them how they’ve made this program work for them. 

I would also say that at both schools, any major and any department you want to go into, you’ll find incredible advisors and professors. I think this program offers you such a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in learning from two great institutions, and I encourage people to take advantage of that as much as you can.