Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Wonderful personal and cultural experience, but unsatisfactory academics. January 24, 2024

By (Political Science and Government, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/18/2023 to 12/15/2023 with

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned new things about all of life in general, and the UK specifically. Absolutely worthwhile.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

It was so much fun. Getting away from my home school, diving in and making entirely new friends was truly the time of my life. Bad academic experience hardly mattered in the end, and I will always love Edinburgh and the people there.

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)

Easy to shop; was on a meal plan.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100

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
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Edinburgh itself
  • Access to Europe
  • Leisure time afforded
* What could be improved?
  • Quality of the classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How un-time-consuming the academic work is and thus how much more time could have been spent exploring.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Russia's Foreign and Security Policy
Course Department: Politics
Instructor: Kasia Kaczmarska
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Interesting readings, very unengaging lectures. Unideal grading system resulting in curved grades; almost impossible to get an A.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Economic and Political Geography
Course Department: Geography
Instructor: Mary Lawhon
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Worst class I have ever taken in my life. Ridiculous material and unengaging lectures and readings; tutorials were sometimes mildly interesting.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Celtic Civilization 1A: Barbarians, Saints, and Scholars
Course Department: Celtic Studies
Instructor: Kate Mathis
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Great class, fairly graded and wonderfully taught.
Credit Transfer Issues: