Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Soft smiles and medium thumbs (a wonderful time) Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/11/2017 to 12/21/2017 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a lot of independence, especially from traveling alone. The experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, and it was definitely worthwhile.

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 classes were academically rigorous, but required a lot of independent work.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The host administration wasn't really catered to incoming abroad students.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The dorm was fine, but it would have been nice to live with more upper class men (dorm was mostly American freshmen)

* Food:

There was a meal plan and the food was edible, but not amazing. Limited options.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The local culture was dominated by University students, so difficult to make contact with locals.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It was difficult for abroad students to get health care options. There were no prevalent health care issues and vaccines were not required.

* Safety:

The city was full of golf tourists and very safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I think I would try to find a program with less American influence and more cultural exposure.

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)

Food was not provided on weekend nights, so we had to buy/make dinner.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $50
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy plane tickets early if you plan on traveling!

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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people I met
* What could be improved?
  • The coordination with Midd while abroad
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You feel like a freshman again when you get there...

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:

Introduction to World Religions
Course Department: Divinity
Instructor: Professor Aguilar
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was basic, but still academically rigorous and thought-provoking. There were two papers and a final exam. Homework consisted of reading religious texts and supplementary texts for discussion.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues.
Course Name/Rating:

Grreat Ideas 1
Course Department: Interdepartmental
Instructor: Charles Paxton
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The "great ideas" of the course were based around academics and techniques that could be useful in an academic setting. While useful, this made the course a bit dry. Each lecture was led by an different instructor, which was effective in that it allowed for lecturers to be specialized, but it took away from the formation of student-professor connections and often made the course feel a bit disjointed.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues.
Course Name/Rating:

Conceptual Issues and Theoretical Perspectives
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Paul Gardner
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The instruction/lecturing for this course was excellent. The entire grade rested on a single paper that involved a lot of creative thinking, but allowed for the application of topics covered in the course. Weekly discussions allowed for further exploration of concepts.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues.
Course Name/Rating:

Cognition
Course Department: Psychology
Instructor: Thomas Otto
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was assessed with a single final lab report. Lectures introduced new topics that were supplemented by weekly labs. Material was thought-provoking and lecturing was very effective.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues.