Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

i will miss Edinburgh so so much Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/20/2016 to 05/27/2017 with

IFSA: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
gain so much stronger academic background/knowledge. although it was insanely busy, almost couldn't handle it. absolutely worth it

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

crazily intense but education quality is high and solid

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

very pleasant, and not expensive(compared to home school) . single with shared bathroom and kitchen in a 3 people flat. have personal space. flatmates get along. have people coming for cleaning job every week.

* Food:

not self-catered housing. so cook by myself or go out for cafe/restaurants. cooking is convenient and it's so easy to find place for coffee/lunch within few minutes walk. Scotland food is cool

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

very very diverse in culture and atmosphere here. people from different places of the whole world make friends . you can always hear many different languages around campus

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

registered when i arrived. school registration was full so have to go other places(not far, thankfully). went to the royal hospital in Edinburgh for once for blood checking for my thyroid problem. doctor very unprofessional, and hospital quite crowded. very unpleasant compared to how i experienced health service in US

* Safety:

since i live on busy streets with bars and coffee around. sometimes see drunk people on the street at night and always too many beggars, streets are not clean. ..so i'd say sometimes might feel unsafe late very late at night, but peaceful for most of the time but i still like Edinburgh so much. isn't it weird

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)

price similar with Boston. (but in British pound) easy to manage. not pricy restaurants easily found and rich in options, also self-cooking is convenient

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 250 pounds

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

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
  • Other
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?
  • THE CITY
  • the school/courses
  • super flexible lifestyle here
* What could be improved?
  • NOTHING
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? some suggestions about course selection. some classes are hard. especially when you have few related background. bad class selection might make you suffer

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!