Past Review
By Laina R (Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Tufts University) for
University of Dundee: Dundee - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I feel as though I have become a lot more independent since going abroad, and have added more cultural and world experiences to my life. It was definitely worthwhile, and I would recommend going abroad to anybody who likes experiencing new things and is not afraid to step out of your comfort zone. In the end, it really becomes worth it, I guarantee you! And as I said before, don't be discouraged if you don't like it right away. It's hard getting used to new things, so just give yourself time before you judge it. Once I made good friends who I hung out with on a regular basis, I started to enjoy my time much more, and it takes time to make good friends, so don't give up!
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2008 |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I had a wonderful time abroad, however it was not due to the program. I met great people in my flat and in my classes, but the administration did not help me out at all. My adviser knew virtually nothing about the classes I was allowed to take and was not helpful in answering my questions. Also, they were very disorganized when it came to paying tuition and residence fees. However, the international staff often planned dinners/events for the international students which were fun. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in student accommodation, which were flats consisting of six rooms, a common room and a kitchen. Each room came with it's own bathroom and shower, which was GREAT. All of my flatmates were from the UK, so I was really able to become immersed in the culture and make great friends. The rooms and kitchen were very nice. <br /><br /> The student flats I stayed in were in the perfect location--directly in the center of campus and close to classrooms, the gym, and the city center. I loved my housing and am happy to have been placed where I was. Since it wasn't a hall-style residence, it was hard to meet people living in other flats, but if you made the effort you could make new friends easily. |
| * Food: |
Going out to eat was ridiculously expensive, but buying groceries was quite cheap. The food was good--nothing too drastically different from the States. It was also easy to get vegetarian food. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The school has a student union which held lots of fun events almost every night, and I often went there. There were also lots of student clubs in the area which were fun to go to on the weekends. The study abroad program at the school itself did not really organize any outside events or trips, so I was mostly on my own if I wanted to meet people or go out. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
The city of Dundee is not particularly safe, but I never once felt unsafe while I was there. I took precautions not to walk alone at night, but that's just common sense. I don't know about the healthcare as I didn't get sick while I was abroad, but there were plenty of clinics/doctors offices nearby that I could have gone to if I did get sick. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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? | I spent about 10 pounds on groceries per week, which is pretty reasonable. Sometimes it was slightly more than that, sometimes it was less. I also went during a time of economic turmoil, so the dollar was not faring well against the pound. Mostly everything at the school cost money, as students don't pay student activities fees, so they have to pay for every club individually. But, going abroad is about experiencing new things, so I didn't mind spending money on things. Overall, I don't think I spent an outlandish amount of money on social events or food, and since tuition was significantly less than Tufts tuition, I ended up saving money anyway. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The only unanticipated expenses were those for student clubs and activities. Most clubs charge a flat rate for the whole year, which seemed unfair because I was only there for one semester but still had to pay the whole thing. This deterred me from joining too many clubs. I also had to pay for a gym membership, which was not included in the tuition. Other than that, I paid for nights out, food, clothing, etc., which was not surprising. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I would say don't be afraid if you don't like it right away. i really didn't like my abroad experience until at least a month into it, and before then I was trying to figure out ways to get back home! But by the end of a month, I was enjoying it, and after two months I didn't want to leave. Nobody really tells you that it takes time to get adjusted and make new friends, especially if you're in a situation where you aren't with anybody you know (as I was). But if you stick it out and realize that you just need to put yourself out there and be independent, you start to have so much fun and really grow as a person. |
