Study at BGU - Student Life and Campus Environment

Our Main Campus - the Marcus Family Campus in Be'er-Sheva

With a vibrant student life and an amazing sense of community, your time at BGU will be truly unforgettable. Campus and city life includes movie theaters, a state-of-the-art sports center, pubs, espresso bars, restaurants, 24-hr computer labs, and home-like dorms.

Enjoy a genuine campus experience, where multicultural and international students engage in over 30 extracurricular clubs. The very active student union initiates a variety of cultural and social events throughout the year, including parties and organized weekend getaways.

Check out this Handbook made by our student Union - The Handbook for the new student

BGU Marcus Campus virtual tour - Student life

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Student Union

BGU has a very active and helpful student union. They organize events and help keep students updated on all the important university news. The union can help you with everything from joining sports activities to finding an apartment.

They have a specially dedicated office for international students. You can follow the Student Union in English both on the official website and on Facebook.

Campus Cinema

BGU's Beer-Sheva campus has its own movie theatre! Each week the Negative cinema screens both local movies and blockbusters. The movies are usually in English with Hebrew subtitles, so there are a lot of options for International students. The Negative cinema is operated by the student union.

To find the weekly movie schedule you can go to the Negative Cinema website

Or stay up to date with the BGU International Facebook page

Sports

The University Sports Center is located on the northeast corner of Arlozorov and Ben-Gurion Boulevard. The Sports Center is open seven days a week, and the hours vary (closes early Friday and Saturday and opens at noon on Sunday). The center has two 25-meter lap pools, one indoor and one outdoor, a leisure pool, a sauna, and steam rooms. It also boasts basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts, locker rooms, an equipment/clothing shop, and a gym with exercise machines. You will need to swipe your BGU ID card to enter the facility.
Entrance to all facilities, except the gym, is free with a BGU student card.

Gym membership - If you want to use the weight room, you need to get a membership. Contact the Sports Center for more information at 074-779-5636.

“Positive" is BGU's affordable exercise studio. It is located on the basement floor of the Zlotowski Student Center (on the main campus) and offers all sorts of classes, such as spinning, Yoga, Pilates, dance, and aerobics. Classes usually take place in Hebrew, but it is a great way to acquire language skills while exercising. For some popular classes, you need to register in advance. There is an online registration system (in Hebrew) where you can see the timetable and the remaining room in each class and sign up for your class of choice. If you have any problem signing up, call- (08) 647-2340 or 0544644463, email- b-positive1@aguda.bgu.ac.il

One-time entrances to classes cost between 20–30 NIS each (depending on the type of class), or you can buy a semester-long pass or a punch card. Contact the Positive studio for more information.

Dancing- Salsa every Monday at 9:00PM and Bachata every Tuesday at 9:40PM on the basement floor of the Zlotowski Student Center- Building 72 floor (-1).

Rock Climbing- “Performance Rock" brings climbing into the urban space. Located in Beer-Sheva's old city (4 HaAtzmaut Street). Every Wednesday Women enter for free!

Borrowing sports equipment - How does it work? Go to the Student Union offices in the Student House with a form of ID. You will leave your card and sign a declaration that you will return the equipment. Equipment that is not returned, or returned with heavy damage will result in a fine. When you are finished using the equipment, return it to the Student Union offices. You may also borrow equipment in the evening and return it the next day, by no later than 11:00.

What can you borrow? Basketball, a pair of tennis rackets and 6 tennis balls, a volley ball, a ping-pong set (rackets, net, and balls).

ASA - Academic Sports Teams- You are welcome to represent BGU in one of the many sports teams we offer. The sports include Volleyball, Squash, Bowling, Chess, and many more.

For more information contact BGU's sports director: sport@aguda.bgu.ac.il , Student house- building 72, room 163.

Volunteer Opportunities

BGU encourages and helps students become involved in the community with several volunteering opportunities within the Beer-Sheva and Negev areas. Some of the options include renewing neighborhoods, tutoring children, helping the elderly, and even working in a community garden.

Follow this link to find out more about Volunteering Opportunities

Clubs on Campus

International students from over 50 countries enjoy a full calendar of activities and events and a variety of clubs and organizations.

The Ben-Gurion University Model United Nations

Academic Sport Association (A.S.A.)

Studio POSITIVE – The Student Union's workout studio

BGU Chamber Music Performance Course

More activities you can find:

Debate club

Negev Ron – Official BGU dance group

Security

Every new student will go through a security orientation in which important information regarding their stay at BGU will be presented.

Throughout your stay, the security department will occasionally provide updates, directions, and further information directly to your email. You may also download an app in order to receive those updates directly to your mobile phone.

The Security department is available 24/7 in case of an emergency.
You may also contact security with questions and concerns.

Contact the security department:

Phone number: +972-8-6461553/4
E-mail (not for emergencies): bitahon@bgu.ac.il
Website

Important information before your arrival to BGU:

- It is required to display a photo ID each time you enter campus

- It is required to undergo a security check each time you enter campus. You will be asked to open your bag(s).

- Firearms are forbidden on campus grounds

Green Campus

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has taken on the responsibility of creating a cleaner and better quality environment as part of the project "Green Campus".

"Green Campus" is an initiative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection whose aim is to promote the subject of environmental quality in higher education institutions.

The steering committee composed of representatives from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, from academic institutions, and from the Council for Higher Education, has drawn up criteria and guidelines in order to receive formal accreditation as a "Green Campus".

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is pleased to join this initiative and sees the subject of environmental quality as an educational objective and also as a means of respecting humanity and nature.

The University believes that everyone should be responsible for their own actions and should diminish their negative impact on their surroundings.

On this site, you can find information on the steps the University is taking to reach these objectives

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