Even the rain couldn't dampen my day Past Review

By (Chemistry & Russian, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/23/2013 to 05/31/2013 with

University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be more independent. I had never cooked for myself before so that was a challenge but it was fun to learn. I also learned how to manage money, especially traveling expenses, and gained some lifelong friends from all over the US and Great Britain. I went to St Andrews after an emotionally tough fall for me and when I left I felt like myself again, but even more strong than I had been before.

Review Photos

University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I appreciated how for larger classes there were multiple different professors who lectured based on their expertise in the subject. At the same time, the smaller courses and departments were just as academically stimulating and really worked hard to include you in the department and make you feel welcome.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They hosted orientation and a banquet for us upon arrival but otherwise all my issues were dealt with via the Wellesley International Study Office.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in the David Russel Apartments. I had a single room with its own bathroom with a shower and a double sized bed in a suite where I shared a kitchen with 4 other girls. I loved everything except that it was a mile from town thus making it a little tedious to get to class/run errands at times. There was a relatively cheap bus that helped but even so it was quite far.

* Food:

I was not on the meal plan so I cooked. There were many different places one could go food shopping so I had no problem with food whatsoever. The restaurants in town were all nice, with a lot of Italian restaurants, a lot of pubs and a few other various cuisines.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I went to pubs and participated in pub quizzes, joined the volleyball team, learned traditional Scottish dancing at a ceilidh dance, and I even tried some haggis and went on a tour of a distillery in Pitlochry so I felt very integrated in local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Upon arrival, all students had to fill out a medical form and deliver it to the hospital, which acts as the university's health center, so that they had a record of us in case of emergency.

* Safety:

St. Andrews is one of the safest towns I have ever been in. I never felt scared, even walking hoe from the pub late at night.

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

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)

I lived on a 100 pounds/week budget because I was self-catered and had to cook for myself. Most of the time I never used all of my allowance for that week so I would say an 80 pound a week budget is more applicable. But food is not cheap and if you want to travel, bus tickets add up.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 80 pounds
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Instead of spending money going out to dinner with friends, have a potluck or cook together. It saves money and is a lot of fun tasting everyone's family recipes.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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?
  • The town of St. Andrews itself was so quaint and a beautiful place to live.
  • The full time students are very welcoming and want to help make your experience at St Andrews as great as possible.
  • The professors were phenomenal and I liked having multiple professors for one class who presented on their specialty. It highlighted their passion.
* What could be improved?
  • It was hard to make friends with the full time students because after first year very few live in dorms and that is where the study abroad students live so we mainly made friends with each other.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring more than one pair of boots. Cobblestones wear out shoes very quickly.