Scotland: lots of fun, beautiful, and slightly underwhelming. Past Review
By Genevieve G (Medieval/Renaissance Studies + Environmental Studies, Wellesley College) for
University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned to be much more independent and self-reliant. I was used to living on my own, which I think made a big difference in my experience -- I knew how to cook and supply myself adequately. I learned I don't really like cities, large universities, or being alone all that much, which is great to know; I also gained a lot of confidence by dealing with those three things. I would love to go back to Scotland and travel more, especially in rural areas; I don't know if I'll do that anytime soon, but I will bring the sense of adventure and willingness to take mild risks I cemented while abroad elsewhere. I also appreciate my home university SO MUCH MORE than I did before I left.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I appreciate the exposure to a new system and different content; I did learn a lot in my courses, but I cannot say I enjoyed the experience as much as I usually do at my home university. Workload: Very reasonable: reading assignments are at one's discretion, and each class had only 1-2 assessments throughout the course, in addition to the final exam. Grading: More attention is paid to mechanics of writing, which I appreciated [except when it crossed into nitpickiness]; I felt fairly graded, once one adjusts to realizing that a 70 is an A. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While it was not always easy to figure things out initially, being persistent and asking questions worked out eventually. As with a large university, it can be difficult to figure out the system, but both the study abroad offices and the regular university student support got me where I needed to be eventually. Differences between US and UK systems made it difficult for me to enroll in classes outside of one department, and while eventually successful, efforts to do that got snagged up in massive bureaucracy, which I found frustrating. After the first few weeks of tussling with department administration, everything was fine, but it was rough going at first. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The university ran out of garuanteed housing, so I was housed in a sublet building some 2.5 miles from campus. While I was happy with the quality of the housing itself, and grateful that I had <somewhere> to live, it did make things much ore difficult being so far away from class, events, and where everyone else lives. While I appreciated the beauty of the 5-mile roundtrip, my personal fitness, and the opportunity to have a less insular experience of living in the city, it did take a lot of time/planning to go ANYWHERE and I was not particularly enthusiastic about walking back alone late at night. My flatmates and I co-invested in kitchen goods, and we each outfitted our rooms completely. CHARITY SHOPS. Use them. |
| * Food: |
It's possible to remain vegetarian/vegan if you cook for yourself! It's possible to eat well and cheaply! There's a student-run cafe and bulk food ordering cooperative [Hearty Squirrel] that makes it even easier, and the allotment run a weekly vegetable sale from a loclal organic farm. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I arranged all my own travel: of that, my two experiences volunteering on farms with WWOOF UK {Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms] was a great way to see the country, stay with a family, eat great food, and learn about Scottish farming and rural life! Otherwise, trips via bus to Stirling, Glasgow and St. Andrews were all lovely. I just wish I'd gotten into the Eastern Highlands more. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I didn't have any health incidents. It is possible for visiting students to register with the NHS [national health service], which I didn't do, but probably should have. Edinburgh is generally very safe, but walking alone/after dark in public parks is a bad idea. There were two sexual assaults within a month in the Meadows, the park just behind the Uni library, and I wasn't always completely confident walking home alone late at night, and sometimes I chose to stay over with friends rather than venturing home unwisely. Nothing ever happened, but buddy systems and smart choices are great things. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | I probably spent about £25 per week [$40 while I was there] -- most of that on groceries and drinks at the pub. Buying goods in bulk, root vegetables, and lentils/beans/grains is a wonderful way to go! I ate really well and pretty cheaply, considering how expensive Edinburgh is. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you drink, be aware that pubbing and clubbing adds up! As for unanticipated expenses, frugality is always great, but if you come across THAT GREAT THING don't be afraid to invest - you'll only be there once! Charity shops are also wonderful, wonderful things. Also, there is usually a membership fee for joining student groups, so it makes a certain amount of sense to choose an activity or three and stick with it. |
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
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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