A great semester before starting Middlebury Past Review
By nicholas l (Political Science And International Studies, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/28/2009 to 01/18/2010 with
University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I can't honestly say that this was the most transformative experience for me. However it was a great time, I got to spend time in a country that I was unfamiliar with, and I also had opportunities to travel to other parts of Europe. I do not in any way regret my decision to go here, but I think if you are an American looking for an adventurous experience abroad this might be a little too close to home.
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. |
The week to week rigor was not all that high, but in order to do well on exams it was necessary to stay on top of the work |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They covered everything that might be needed, but sometimes it was difficult to get in contact with the administration or to fin the proper channel. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had the worst freshman housing arguably (Andrew Mellville Hall) so my experience isn't necessarily indicative of overall housing. The rooms were clean and nice enough though. No major complaints but it wasn't stellar. |
| * Food: |
The dining hall food was probably the worst food I've ever eaten on a regular basis. Very mediocre and sometimes there were only small portions. I am not that picky of an eater but this just wasn't good. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
yes, its easy to get invovled. However it's also easy to get sucked in to the american scene as there are so many of us. It really comes down to what you want to do |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in this town. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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) |
The only reason to spend money is if you want to pay for going to the pubs or buy your own food. Personally, I chose to spend money on these things but it certainly isn't mandatory if youre on a tight budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | not really no, sorry |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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 guess just that this is a relatively safe program to do if you are an American. While it is an overall enjoyable experience, there are a lot of americans enrolled and it is unlikely you will experience a culture shock (which may be a good thing if thats what you are looking for) |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Europe and the World, 1850 - 2000 |
| Course Department: | history |
| Instructor: | multiple |
| Instruction Language: | english |
| Comments: | yes, this was fairly rigorous. This was not an introductory course and many of the students had more of a background in the subject, so it was initially tough but I was able to catch up. There were smaller discussion sections every week and there were only about 7-8 people in the discussion so participation was heavy. I was assessed by both papers and homework. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | in process of transferring now |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introduction to International Relations |
| Course Department: | international relations |
| Instructor: | multiple |
| Instruction Language: | english |
| Comments: | This class was challenging. There were a lot of concepts covered over the course of the semester and we were expected to have thorough understanding of them by the end. We were assessed with regular coursework and papers. Participation was expected in the smaller discussion groups each week, and we would have lots of mini-group discussions. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | in the process of transferring |
