Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Good school, better friends and social life Past Review

By (Economics, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/07/2015 to 12/18/2015 with

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Being abroad is like taking a semester off from Wellesley. VERY WORTHWHILE. Still had to work but no busy work so just studying on your own.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Easy compared to Wellesley. Not a lot of busy work, just a couple exams or papers.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Hardly any help from school to integrate into the University. I was lucky to be housed with first-years that were attending the school for all four years so fell into a good friend group and did not have to "break" into any preexisting friend groups.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was expensive and a little far from campus but it was new and I had my own single and bathroom. Enjoyed my flatmates a lot.

* Food:

Shopped and cooked for myself. Food on campus, if I ever ate lunch there, was really good.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Friends were all full-time students at the University. Some from Scotland/UK but few international students as well. All great.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Did not need health care at any point while abroad.

* Safety:

Relatively safe city, was able to walk or take the bus around the city alone. Did not have any issues.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Had a great group of friends that wanted to hang out all the time, it was awesome. Academics were not challenging and had much more free time than I ever expected.

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)

Housing was expensive (new building, single, bathroom). Also had to buy a bus pass because my housing was far from school (many other closer dorms but was not able to get into them). As long as I did not go out every day to eat, I was able to make it by just fine.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $70 on food/supplies/etc. $30 on alcohol, cover charges, etc (surprisingly expensive category)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Important to realize that 10 pounds is 15 dollars, etc. Hard to get used to. Cook at home (bring your own lunch to Uni), going out is expensive.

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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* 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?
  • Friends
  • Social Events
* What could be improved?
  • Housing (did not get placed in any of my top 5 choices)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Goes by quickly so make travel plans ASAP!!

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.