Studying in Scotland: A Fun and Rewarding Experience Past Review

By (HISTORY., Providence College) for

IFSA: Glasgow - University of Glasgow

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely worth it to study abroad. It was an amazing experience and I learned a lot about myself,life, and another culture. I'm a history major and the amount of history in Scotland was incredible and definitely helped develop another area of interest in history.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload wasn't too bad. It was a lot of independent work and reading. Instead of specific tasks that needed to be completed by a certain class it was a list of recommended readings that you had to do on your own time before the final. The grading system was different too. In America you start at a 100 and get points taken off but in Scotland you start with a 0 and get points added.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The host country program provided a lot of helpful information about living in Scotland and adjusting to the changes. They were very prompt when I emailed them with a question or concern. I was very satisfied with the assistance they provided.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Glasgow has a variety of restaurants and types of food. Stravaigin and Mother India were my two favorite restaurants.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Glasgow is a very cultural city. Most of the museums in the city are free admission or have a student discount. The city has a great music scene with up and coming bands and singers. The program had reunion dinners over the course of the semester for the members of the program at different restaurants in Glasgow or Edinburgh.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt well informed regarding safety concerns in the city from the information given by the program. The best safety tip I received was just to be aware of what was going on around you and not to do anything stupid.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Living in a dorm with a kitchen definitely helped with food expenses because I was able to cook for myself which was cheaper.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • history classes
  • the people I met
  • the city of Glasgow
* What could be improved?
  • I wish I could have lived with more local students