To Boldly Go Where No Family of Mine Has Ever Gone Before February 10, 2023
By A student (History/Political Science, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/19/2022 to 12/23/2022 with
University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained a deeper understanding of how fortunate I was to have been given to opportunity to go abroad. I gained new experiences of a brand new continent, people, and culture, where I able to share with my entire family back home, who vicariously lived through me. As a first generation student, this is an experience I will keep for the rest of my life, and the same goes for my family. It was worth everything.
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. |
Lectures and Tutorial System. I enjoyed the lectures and the weekly readings. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration on site were quite helpful. Help through online means somewhat spotty. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great living environment for a city flat, but I was situated on a lively street, so an abundance of noise every night. |
| * Food: |
I quite liked the food, as I prepared it myself. Difficult to find good Latino restaurants and bodegas. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt really integrated into the culture, many thanks to events held by the program and the city. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Safe for the most part, if you know how to live and deal with city folk. Not too much difference than going through the city in America. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would like to experience a new program and location, and while I enjoyed my time in the program I had done, I would love to go to back to the city as a simple tourist. |
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) |
Quite manageable, if you figure out how much you spend on extra expenses and how much you need per week. Budgeting is doable. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | around 50 pounds. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Sign up for any and all free savings accounts for groceries and markets. Buy offbrand items. Buy in bulk when you can. |
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 |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how lonely it would be in the beginning, without friends or family in a whole new location, by yourself. Making friends definitely helped with this problem. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
