Past Review
By Jason (Composition, Music Production, University of Hartford) for
Staffordshire University: Stoke-on-Trent - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Yes, worthwhile. Met a lot of new friends, traveled a lot. I would not recommend staying in England the entire time though. Travel as much as possible, don't fill your schedule too much, because Stafford gets dull quickly.
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Everyone in the building had a single, and there was a shared kitchen for 4 to 8 people, which was cleaned once a week by a cleaning lady. Pots and pans were gifted, but wore out after a couple weeks. |
| * Food: |
The food in England is very poor, except for curry. If you go out for dinner, this is your only option besides pizza. Avoid burgers. They are aweful. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The school has a guy-to-girl ratio of between 7-1 and 9-1. Social groups tend to be very tight, and some people can act cold because of this. My social life existed mostly through other exchange students, typically from Germany, who tended to be more open to meeting new people. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Roughly $500 per month. This changed as the exchange rate changed. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
It's England. They speak English. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Bring your girlfriend. |
