“A day with a goal achieved is a god day”

Ron Shalev, second year data engineering student, possesses a triple title she never dreamed of having when she first applied to Bar-Ilan: reserve officer, October 7^th survivor, and Otef evacuee. She spent over 150 days on reserve duty, serving as a logistics officer in a combat unit on the Lebanese border. “The main struggle is lost time, and the difficult transitions between school and military duty,” she says. “I use the academic assistance services: extra time, alternative exam dates, mentorship, delayed courses, alternative assessments, postponed assignments. But doesn’t automatically grant you an engineering degree –you have to prove yourself, succeed, and work hard. It’s hard to assess how successful I could have been if I didn’t have to spend all this time on reserve duty instead of in class and experience the hardships of war.”

Ron, 26 of Ein Habsor moshav at Eshkol municipality, says she feels a significant difference between this year and the last. “This year is much harder, both because of the increasing workload and intensity that stretches over time and weighs down on me, and because the adrenalin is leaving my system and I’m beginning to feel the long-term implications of the war,” she admits. “Coping, especially the more time passes, becomes more individual and unique. There’s no easy solution, no uniform instructions on how to make things better. But I have to say that the university and Faculty of Engineering are putting in the effort and the staff shows considerable understanding, attention, good intentions and willingness to help.”

She urges other students on reserve duty to not view academic challenges as a single unit but instead break them down into smaller increments and handle one problem at a time, to the best of their ability. “Each day is different, and every day with a goal achieved is a good day and a part of the process,” she says. “It’s also important to know how to ask for help – there’s no shame in it, and there are plenty of people who can and want to help, from staff and faculty to fellow students, and of course family and friends. This includes mental help. As an October 7^th survivor and Otef evacuee I get help from the Otef resilience centers, but the university also offers similar services which you should utilize.”

Ron wishes to thank the faculty and staff at the Faculty of Engineering for keeping their doors open and their ongoing willingness to help out; to her peers who help her catch up on schoolwork and lend an ear; and most of all to all students on reserve duty. “As an Otef resident, I am eternally appreciative of your mission, I know first-hand how difficult it is and I want to thank you,” she says and adds: “I wish for all the hostages to return home.” So say we all.