Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

St Andrews Fall Semester Past Review

By (Mathematical Sciences, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/09/2013 to 12/21/2013 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved the traveling I got to do while in St Andrews and met some really fantastic people. The courses I took were interesting and very different from those I could take at home. However, St Andrews is really not all that different from a university you might find in the US. I would go abroad again in a heartbeat, but I think I would go somewhere that is not as similar to my home institution.

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? 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)

St Andrews is an expensive town in general, and the meal plan does not include weekend dinners.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Trying to cook food rather than just buy will definitely help.

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?
  • Scotland is a really beautiful country and traveling around St Andrews was fantastic.
  • A much wider range of courses to choose from than at home.
* What could be improved?
  • The food in halls is really not fantastic.
  • I found the grading system there very hard to adjust to.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known how popular a destination it is for study abroad for American students.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Sustainable Development: Priorities and Pathways
Course Department: Sustainable Development
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was not extremely challenging, but the content was very interesting and spread across the disciplines. It was assessed primarily through a final at the end of the semester, a concept map project and an essay.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Statistical Modeling
Course Department: Applied Statistics and Data Mining
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very challenging and intensive. The instructor was very knowledgeable. The course was assessed through four short reports and a final.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Data Analysis
Course Department: Applied Statistics and Data Mining
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was challenging, but mostly because it was very disorganized. Work was not handed back in a timely fashion, if at all, and the lecturer was mostly unavailable for questions. It was assessed through a final, an online open-note test and two reports.
Credit Transfer Issues: