A Time for Learning and Having Fun Past Review
By A student (BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES., Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/01/2012 to 05/21/2012 with
University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was definitely worth while. I learned a lot inside and outside of my courses. I learned about a different way of learning. I learned about how to be more responsible for my own learning. I learned about how to be a better traveler. About how to organize all of the things that you need to travel: transportation, lodging, visiting different places, and understanding different cultures and languages.
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. |
The courses were a lot different from courses at my home university. They were challenging in a different way. The professors expected the students to research more outside of class. They did not track the student's progress as much as my home university. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was very helpful. The study abroad orientation was informative. I learned where I could get my questions answered. The professors were all very understanding and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing accommodations were very nice. I had my own room with a bathroom and a double bed. I also shared a kitchen with 4 other students. My accommodations were so nice, because they were some of the most expensive. They way that the housing was chosen was a little frustrating. You had to rank your top preferences and you also had to put down your preferences (single/double, catered/non-catered, in/out of town). But the things that you put down didn't necessarily correlate to what you got. For instance, I wanted non-catered in town and I got catered out of town. But they ended up being very nice accommodations! |
| * Food: |
I love British food. Sticky Toffee Pudding, Fish and Chips, and Lamb. These were all available. There was a Tesco's in town and two other bigger grocery stores within walking distance. There were good restaurants in town. And the accommodations all had good kitchens to cook in. The food in the dining hall was not as good. They had very short dining times. There were a lot of potatoes in the dishes. They were also very specific about how much you could have. For instance, you could have one small glass of either water or milk at each meal. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Because I went during the second semester, the students that I meet during orientation were study abroad students. Also the students that I meet during classes or when I got involved in the societies (clubs) were also mostly international or American students. My suitemates were also international students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health care was great! The health care system is free and we all got set up with a GP (general practice doctor) when we first arrived. They were very helpful! I did not need any vaccines for my program. |
| * Safety: |
The town was very safe. I never felt unsafe waking around alone at night as a women. |
| 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) |
Because of the exchange rate it was very expensive. I ended up spending a lot on food and travel. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would suggest prioritizing what you purchase. I made sure to only spend money on travel and food. I would also suggest making sure to eat at the dining hall if you have paid for it. |
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? | I wish that I knew more realistically how much it would cost. |
