The Best International Experience of My College Career Past Review
By Andrew C (Texas A&M University - College Station) - abroad from 06/13/2014 to 07/11/2014 with
Arcadia: Edinburgh - Scottish History
I learned that there is a lot of history in Scotland, and the land is more beautiful that the pictures could ever show. The people are mostly friendly, and there is a different way of life that was certainly worth learning about.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I learned a lot about Scotland. We went on excursions, attended events, and interacted with the people on a regular basis. Wrote 3 papers, and did a presentation at the end. Awesome professors! |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very helpful, and very friendly. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Nice overall, but the heater was out, and the sheets were too small. Cold for a Texas native at night. |
| * Food: |
Food was one of my favorites. We had to fend for ourselves, so I got to expand my cooking knowledge, and enjoy the pubs in town. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated by the end of the program. Edinburgh really began to fell like home. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had an upset stomach, and the Arcadia people knew exactly what medicine I needed. One even personally brought over something to help out. 7 stars out of 5! |
| * Safety: |
Edinburgh was extremely safe. I was truly surprised at the fact that there was nothing criminal going on, except for a little public drunkenness. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
Pretty hard to manage a good food budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $170 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to always cook for yourself. It is easy to go out to a pub every night, but it will save lots of money to just eat at home. Also, I advise getting the Yelp app to find less expensive restaurants in the area. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had known were the closest grocery store was when i got there. I also wish I had known how to read UK street addresses,and know what they mean. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Scottish History |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Dr. Aaron Allen |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Excellent professor. Even got to interact with him outside of the classroom. He even invited me over to his house one evening to meet his family. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Credits have not yet transferred. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Scottish Geology, Landscapes, and People |
| Course Department: | Geology |
| Instructor: | Dr. Angus Miller |
| Instruction Language: | English/ Scots |
| Comments: | The class was challenging, but it was very enjoyable. My main problem was with the TAMU Geology Department. It was very hard to make progress in getting them to sign off the course. They seemed very uncoordinated. The instructor for the course was very helpful, and very knowledgeable on the material. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Credit has not yet transferred. |
