Completely submerged into the Scottish culture Past Review

By Adam N (Economics., Vanderbilt University) for

IFSA: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was an incredible experience to be able to see Europe at such length. Weekend trips to other countries and an extended spring break trip really allowed me to see tons of Europe.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here:	University of Edinburgh
The term and year this program took place:	Spring 2008

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Academics were relatively easy. There were very few assignments throughout the course of the semester, and the final exams were straightforward and easy to prepare for.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	They were great.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived in an off-campus apartment with 4 other Scottish students. <br /><br /> I had my own room in a nice apartment, and my roommates were awesome.
* Food:	I am an unbelievably good cook.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	It was interesting to explore a new city, and my roommates did a good job helping me acclimate to the social scene.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	It was very expensive, especially because the exchange rate to the pound was so poor. An evening out routinely cost 20-40 pounds, but food was reasonably if you were able to shop right.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Be careful when traveling. A wrong turn or missed flight can be expensive to correct. For example, one time I was skiing in Switzerland, took a wrong turn, and ended up in Italy. I was able to get back to Switzerland, but had to pay 35 Euros to do so.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Fluent
Language acquisition improvement?	They spoke my native language in this country.