Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Classes not great but travel amazing!!! Past Review

By (Double majoring in graphic design and graphic technologies, University of Northern Iowa) - abroad from 06/14/2014 to 07/12/2014 with

University of Stirling: Scotland - International Summer School

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Travelling to another country builds confidence in yourself and your abilities like none other!

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 didn't enjoy the courses that I took (Scotland on the Screen and Marketing & Branding Scotland) very much because there wasn't a lot of opportunity for students to be very involved in classes, as opposed to many others that I'd heard about. Learning was mainly textbook and presentation-based, and I was hoping for fun seminar-style learning that highlighted the high points of Scottish culture. Grading was generally dependent upon 1-2 large essays due at the end of the classes, at least for mine. It was nice not to have too much homework during the classes, but I felt I hadn't learned enough during the courses to write a good essay on a particular topic by the end.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Very helpful! However, emailing of information was sometimes slow, which is understandable for such a large program. Additionally, the main packet of information was available as a PDF in May, not March as originally described. This would've been really helpful to have earlier!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Most rooms had their own sinks, and everyone got their own room. 3-4 people shared a bathroom and 7 shared a kitchen/dining room. I felt very safe and really loved getting to know my 'flatmates'!

* Food:

Food/meal plan isn't included in the program fee, so learn to feed yourself for month before coming! :)

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The culture is already pretty Americanized but also charmingly Scottish, so I hardly felt any culture shock during/after the program.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I knew what numbers to call if I had an issue, but never did! On-campus health care available.

* Safety:

I felt really safe! Just don't travel alone at night in well-populated areas, especially women. I took walks/jogs at night in the hills around campus by myself and still felt very safe.

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

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)

I probably spent about $100/week for food, souvenirs, shopping, excursions/traveling, etc.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? For food and things like shampoo/laundry detergent, buy staples and share cost/items among your flatmates.

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? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Program coordinators
  • Weekend excursions
  • Program fee included weekly trips to large cities in Scotland - awesome!
* What could be improved?
  • Classes - more student-involved learning
  • Food - having a food plan
  • Encouraging people to get to know each other and having large-group activities
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring cup measures for cooking! Cook together with flatmates and split up costs with them. You'll do everything wrong the first time, but after that you'll know just what to do and feel like a local. Trying to pick up the accent is completely normal. :)

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!