Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

1 Pound at a Time Past Review

By (Religion, Skidmore College) - abroad from 09/08/2014 to 12/19/2014 with

IFSA: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I became much more self-reliant and independent. It was overwhelmingly worthwhile. I created many friendships, two of which will be lifelong. I travelled to many places, saw so many things I had only seen in pictures.

Review Photos

IFSA-Butler: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh Photo IFSA-Butler: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh Photo IFSA-Butler: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Bigger emphasis on independent work. Less professor accessibility.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Very typical of UK universities. Nothing special but it got the job done.

* Food:

I cooked for myself most of the time.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It felt like home after only a month.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Healthcare through the university was lacking (always booked up, difficult to get emergency attention,) but accessing a local GP and getting what I needed was easy as pie.

* Safety:

I never felt as though I was at risk or in danger.

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)

Around $150 a week,

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Groceries were about 60 pounds, meals/nights out+daily coffee/tea were about another 30 or 40 pounds which is about 150 dollars.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Understand the exchange rate.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Location- Edinburgh is magical.
  • Community- The Scots are so friendly.
  • Education- I learned a lot.
* What could be improved?
  • Orientation- very long, some information we all already knew.
  • Organized trips- I would have loved an organized trip to the Ikea a few days into the semester. It was hard to get to on the bus, but most students found that they needed a few things.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Exchange rates suck! It's important to create a strict budget beforehand.

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 Adventurer
The 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.