Edinburgh: the sun sets too early but the city is wonderful! February 09, 2023
By A student (History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/19/2022 to 12/23/2022 with
University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I had a great time at the University of Edinburgh! I learned a lot about the history and culture of Scotland, I made friends from around the world, and I got better at managing my own life (meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, keeping up with dishes, etc).
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. |
Academics were generally good, and significantly less intense/time-consuming than Wellesley. My professors were mostly excellent though I had a bad experience with a TA. |
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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 was in self-catered accommodation. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone was very friendly! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Healthcare was free and easily accessible! So much better than in the US. |
| * Safety: |
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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) |
Edinburgh was fairly affordable in terms of groceries/transportation (you can get a card to take the bus for free if you are younger than 22!), but I spent a lot on travel and eating out. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around $250/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make travel plans well in advance to save money! |
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? | The attitude towards covid in the UK is different than in the US and very different than it is at Wellesley. People generally do not wear masks in class or on public transportation. There is also very little University support for students with covid (I got covid in my first week and I couldn't even find quarantine guidelines from the University). |
