Quaint, but lovely seaside Scottish experience! August 16, 2023
By A student (English Language and Literature, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/16/2023 to 05/12/2023 with
University of St. Andrews: St. Andrews - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained new friends, new sights, new ways to make myself feel at home, love for travel and new perspectives about the world. Coming into the experience, I prioritized my academics, but while there were enriching academic experiences, there was also so much adventure and wondrous nature views abound. Definitely worthwhile.
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. |
Definitely by grading standards and how much you are expected to invest in outside reading/resources, I found the English program to be very rigorous and much more in-depth than some of Wellesley's courses. However, my time there was impacted by university strikes, so that led to many class cancellations and reading/assignments being reduced accordingly. Despite this though, the professors participating in strikes were completely candid about their position while still maintaining appropriate support channels for students. I think that there were about the same amount of opportunities to connect with professors as with Wellesley, which was surprising to me considering it is a bigger school than ours. It was harder to get extensions, however, and the school tends to have harsher/stricter academic standards in comparison. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Had a single with its own bathroom, which was a very refreshing change from a double with a shared bathroom. The facilities were relatively new/nice in ABH, that being said it was more on the expensive side. |
| * Food: |
I started on the meal plan and chose to go off it based on the poor amount of food choices. I self-catered, but it was also easy to get a meal at the union or at Tesco's for 3 pounds and there were other restaurants in town to grab something for under 10 pounds. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was a university town so there were a lot of international students, but the area had a very distinct Scottish countryside feel which was lovely. I visited surrounding areas / Edinburgh during my time there which helped with not feeling so stuck in the town. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I would say the town is pretty safe-- as someone who stays up late, I was happy to walk into town by myself at night and grab a snack or a drink. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was definitely hard in the beginning to feel connected to other students and to find avenues to meet people. That being said, it was also a great place for some serene alone time-- I loved walking on the beach, reading, listening to music, and doing some solo travel around Scotland. As time went on, I made some new, solid friends and I think ultimately remembering that both my own personal time and time with others are valuable helped make the experience worthwhile. |
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) |
I think it was pretty easy to live on a student budget, especially if you get a Young Scots card. The bus ticket prices can add up over time, so having free bus travel really helped with saving. Groceries were reasonably priced and as long as you didn't eat out very often, budgeting was okay. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a Young Scots card, as well as a rail pass if you want to head into Edinburgh / Glasgow or other Scottish cities. Saving on travel really helps !! |
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
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* Where did you live?
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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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Wish I kept more of an open mind when applying for study abroad and considered more than my academic rigor. There's so much more to gain besides your academic life or career trajectory and it's okay to take time to explore and slow down. That being said, still loved my time at the program. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
