Wales: A story of large hills Past Review
By Katherine S (University of Maine at Orono) - abroad from 09/21/2013 to 12/06/2013 with
Bangor University: Wales - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I was definitely worthwhile, I learned a lot about myself and the world this year.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I found the courses a bit dry at times but overall knowledgeable and fair. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was very kind, however at times I did feel as though my concerns were not important to the staff. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There were many different varieties of housing available, I was not very satisfied with the housing that was chosen for me. If I were to do it again I would have opted for off-campus housing as the dorms are a mile from the main lecture halls anyway and there is a great deal of housing in between. The dorm was old and there were no enough bathroom facilities for the number of people on my floor. |
| * Food: |
No food was provided, but area businesses did have a nice variety, however expensive. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being in Wales, all emails, street signs, and native people used Welsh as their first language and at times I found it confusing. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no experience either way. However I found that the university buildings did not have drinking water fountains, which I think should be provided. |
| * Safety: |
The area was extremely quiet and I never felt in danger, though the walk to class was 1 mile from the dorms and even one of my classes was located 5 miles away with no transportation provided, I felt that was a bit ridiculous. Perhaps offering a shuttle bus instead of suggesting an expensive taxi. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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 found myself running out of money on this budget and eating minimally towards the end of the program. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How far away the dorms are from the classes. About alternative assessments. BYO linens and towel. The area is very hilly. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
