St Andrews: Academically Rewarding but Isolated Past Review
By Anna P (Political Science and Government., Wellesley College) for
University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I really enjoyed studying in St Andrews; I learned a lot in my classes that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to study at Wellesley, but I found it pretty isolated from the rest of Scotland.
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 papers and final exam period were very intensive at this university and a nice challenge; otherwise there were not many hours of classtime and not as many readings as I'm used to. I really enjoyed classes and meeting with my professors, but St Andrews did not have as many weekly hours of academic involvement as Wellesley, which led me to feel understimulated. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
St Andrews was a lot less organized and compact than Wellesley is in terms of teacher/administration/student networks and openness, though their orientation programs were also very helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were giant and gorgeous and I had my own bathroom and a very nice floor kitchen; no complaints |
| * Food: |
pretty standard dining fare |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
No trips arranged through the program, but I loved everything I did and all the cultural experiences hosted by St Andrews. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
No problems |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 30 pounds at the most when not traveling on food and living expenses. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Allocate a travel budget |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | make sure you go out and experience more of Scottish culture and society than you get just at St Andrews |
