An academic experience with lifelong friends! Past Review
By Julia Vinyard (Brandeis University) - abroad from 08/26/2019 to 12/14/2019 with
Advanced Studies England: Bath - ASE Study Centre
I feel like I gained a very deep love and understanding of British culture. Many of the people on the program, myself included, are already talking about our plans to revisit Bath and England whether it be for graduate school or beyond, because we had a very special connection to the city and the country. The courses were all great and just as fulfilling as the ones back home. This was definitely a very worthwhile experience that I would recommend to everyone who is interested in the humanities.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were all the right amount of challenging, and the students on the program are academically motivated and interested which leads to richer in class discussions. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Weekly stipend to buy groceries. Bath can be expensive if you choose to go out to eat a lot but if you're smart about budgeting and grocery shopping then you should be okay. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I only ever got a cold and it was really easy for me to find the right medicine for it. There are lots of resources from the staff to help out with different kinds of health issues, both physical and mental. |
| * Safety: |
Bath is one of the safest cities in England and the community is very invested in keeping each other safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It is really a personal thing from person to person. If you are good at budgeting then it shouldn't be too difficult to live on a student budget but Bath and England as a whole is one of the more expensive places to live. Plus if you plan to travel you will run into some more expenses there. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to pool your money with your housemates when you can for things that everyone uses, such as toilet paper or dish soap, and food items like sliced bread, peanut butter, etc. Try your best to minimize the number of times you go out to eat each week. Go to the charity shops when you need new clothes, and if you travel be sure to do a lot of research on the cheapest options available to you. Often the bus will be a lot cheaper than the train and the journey takes about the same amount of time. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be very careful about spending money and try your best to only buy what you really need before deciding to spend extra on fun activities. Bath has a lot of fun/cheap activities to explore. |
