An Eye-Opening Adventure Past Review

By (English Language and Literature, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/16/2015 to 12/12/2015 with

University of East Anglia: Norwich - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much while being abroad: how to live independently, how to shed judgment and prejudice, how to live in the moment. It was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* 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? $60
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Collect the stipends evenly throughout the semester - if you collect them all at once, it'll be even more tempting to spend it!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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 classes
  • Meeting English people and families
  • Traveling with new friends
* What could be improved?
  • More Middlebury connections or meet ups
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? There is a lot of independent work and reading for the classes.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Eighteenth Century Writing

Course Department: English Literatures
Instructor: James Wood
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was not particularly enlightening and often the seminars were poorly facilitated. However, independent reading material was informative and interesting. We were assessed through one final paper.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

American Women Writers of the 20th Century

Course Department: American Studies
Instructor: Maggie Selby
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I really enjoyed this class. The atmosphere was relaxed and the professor was wonderful! We had several very interesting discussions. The seminars were two hours once a week and we were assessed by two summative papers and a group presentation.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Charles Dickens: Beyond Reality

Course Department: English Literatures
Instructor: Bharat Tandon
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was one of my favorite (but most challenging) classes while abroad. It was structured as a three hour seminar once a week and while there was heavy independent reading, the professor had many interesting discussion points. We were assessed through two summative paper assignments and had several formative assignments that did not count towards our grade. The professor was very invested in helping with our work and provided a lot of supplemental material.
Credit Transfer Issues: I emailed the English department before I enrolled the course and they said they believed it would be an English elective.