Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The semester I was reminded how perfect Wellesley is for me Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/18/2017 to 05/26/2017 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was definitely a worthwhile experience! I learned a lot about myself and experienced more in one semester than I had hoped I would in my entire college career.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I did not experience the caliber of learning I expected from one the best universities in the UK.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were very hands-off and disorganized, but they were very nice.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The rooms were decently sized and nicely outfitted and we had our own bathroom, but the beds were very uncomfortable.

* Food:

The food was generally alright, sometimes delicious, and very regularly not so great.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The healthcare system is hard to access and use if you are foreign and not there long enough to obtain an actual visa.

* Safety:

Basically the safest city I've ever been in.

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

Even though I was extremely disappointed in the academics, I still immensely enjoyed being in Scotland and being able to experience what it means to live in and attend St Andrews. Scotland is beautifully wild, magical, breathtaking, sometimes confusing (true Scots is really, really hard to understand, so speaking to people can get confusing really fast), and very homey, plus a great, extremely safe (except for Glasgow) place to use as your home-base for other European travels. I miss my time there, but solely for my heart, not for my mind.

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)

Being on a meal plan was a huge plus because then you only had to worry about meals on the weekends, but even if I hadn't been I definitely could have survived on less than $100/week.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Fly everywhere foreign and take buses inside the country. At least from Scotland, flights were the cheapest and fastest way to get to any place not in Scotland. And inside Scotland, the bus system was extremely developed and very reasonably priced.

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

* 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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The Art History Department
  • The town of St Andrews is beautiful, relatively cheap (considering it's a posh place), and extremely nice to explore and walk around in.
  • St Andrews has so much historical significance as a religious site and as a source for learning and knowledge, it was really spectacular to feel like I was a part of that.
* What could be improved?
  • The academic style is most often described as "research-based" or "self-study", but the classes meet far too often and give out far too many ungraded assignments (that you must complete as if your grade would severely be impacted) that I don't think that St Andrews is really doing what it should be academically.
  • The social pressure to use and abuse alcohol and drugs.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that most third- and fourth-year students live in flats (i.e. not in the dorms) because I often felt extremely old/mature compared to the first-years I was living with in ways that were uncomfortable. It also meant that all the friends I made were other study abroad students because the first-years were felt too young/immature to hang out with all the time.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.