Great Scot(land) Past Review
By A student (English And Psychology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/11/2014 to 05/24/2014 with
University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My experience abroad bolstered my confidence in ways I never expected. I had to be completely self-reliant; I had to cook for myself, make my own travel arrangements, navigate a new city and culture, and be willing to ask questions. At home, I'm surrounded by family and friends in a familiar environment; I can easily lean on those resources to help solve my problems and figure things out. While I was abroad, those resources were largely suspended; I could no longer depend on others to tell me how to do things. I had to be brave enough to ask my own questions and accept that I was going to make mistakes--and that ranged from the classroom to my home life to my travel experiences.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
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? |
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| * Food: |
I lived in self-catered accommodation, but the university kindly provided basic pots and pans so that I did not have to purchase them myself. Because the university is so central, I had to option of going to a range of grocery shops and markets, which helped me keep my food expenses minimal. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had to use the health care system while abroad, but the few people I know who did had a bit of a hit or miss experience. Sometimes their visits were fast, efficient and helped relieve their symptoms. At other times, their experience with NHS was a long, drawn-out process that did little to alleviate their illness or injury. |
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| 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) |
I knew that my budget was pretty small; for the 4.5 months that I was abroad, I had about $2200 to pay for all of my food, personal expenses, school supplies, travel costs, souvenirs, etc. I prioritized what I wanted to spend that money on fairly quickly, trying to increase the amount that I had for traveling within and outside of Scotland. After an upfront cost for staples (pasta, rice, utensils, etc.), I ended up eating a predominantly (though not exclusively) vegetarian diet that only cost around $15-20 a week (occasionally closer to $50 on weeks that I did buy meat). So a small budget is certainly doable and doesn't mean you need to resort to ramen noodles or beans and rice for the entire semester. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Without travel expenses, probably around $50 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be willing to walk to other stores that might be cheaper and know your ranking of grocery stores. Just like at home, many stores are significantly cheaper than others, so you should shop carefully (e.g. in the UK, Lidl is probably the cheapest store and has most of what you need to get). Have a policy to share store offers and deals with your flatmates and friends so if there's a sale on there's a greater chance you'll here about it. Go to farmer's markets when possible because the produce is often cheaper. Walk when you can and opt for cheaper modes of transportation, like the bus, if walking is out of the question. Things are often closer than you suspect. |
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? | 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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I really wish that I had gone abroad for either a whole year or for the fall semester. While I completely loved my experience, I think that initial integration into the academic and community structures was a bit difficult considering that most students had already been there for a semester. Although students were very friendly, I had missed that period where everyone was still in the getting-to-know each other process rather than already immersed in their own coursework and friend groups. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
