Edinburgh: A Gothic Castle Aventure Past Review

By Augusta H (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Barnard College) - abroad from 01/10/2014 to 05/28/2014 with

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I LOVE EDINBURGH. It is my favorite city right now. Every square inch is beautiful. It's fun and has a wide variety of old and young. I loved wandering around. I also loved getting into a new university system.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Academics were strange to jump into. My first year class was much better, but I also jumped into a fourth year class. There is less work but a lot of weight on a single paper and a single exam. Stress inducing!
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	I never saw my personal tutor beyond the initial, obligatory meeting. He also didn't reply to my emails. :/ I got around it, though.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Better than NYC, but lol, that's not hard. Shared a suite with three others--a Scot, an Englishwoman, and an American. Great to share my experience with an American and learn from the two British citizens.
* Food:	Go self-catered all the way! TESCO! LIDL!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	We were RIGHT in Old Town and in walking distance of anything I'd like to see.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	I got sick, and navigating NHS was a little tricky.
* Safety:	Edinburgh was a very safe city. But I don't think I saw a security guard once. It was definitely different from Barnard, where there was a guard at the entrance of almost every building.
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)	Well, it was better than NYC. But the conversion is awful.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	100ish
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Go to Lidl. So many sales. Get ISC trips. They are a bit unorganized, but it saves you so much money and you see so much.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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 CITY The people The classes
* What could be improved?	Anticipation/Guidance on how to get the best grades while switching to a new system Connecting with other people from the US/my university Guidance on the best classes to take
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Again, I would have LOVED to know that so much weight is put in the last paper and the last exam with nothing else in between. Get in line EARLY for ISC trips.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Scottish Literature
Course Department:	English
Instructor:	N/A
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	LOVED this class. Low stress. Very interesting. A different prof each time. Definitely made my abroad experience a lot more saturated with the culture.
Credit Transfer Issues: