Excellent Program Past Review

By A student (Marine Science, University of Maine at Orono) - abroad from 09/23/2013 to 06/06/2014 with

Bangor University: Wales - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

My experience was very empowering. I did a lot of independent travel to many countries. My abilities to budget my money, school commitments, and travel time improved greatly. I learned a lot about the culture of the UK and Ireland. I would definitely say it was worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	The courses required more independent motivation and outside research than the ones at home. However there were resources available at Bangor that there isn't at UMaine, such as a research vessel.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I was housed in an apartment with 7 other people. I was extraordinarily lucky that all my housemates and I got along. Our situation was unusual, and most people I knew had a problem with at least one housemate. However if I had decided to try to find housing once I arrived, then I would have had nowhere to live at all, as all the rental options are taken by December of the previous year.
* Food:	There were no dining facilities, so I made my own food. There was a kitchen in the flat.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	There were plenty of interesting societies to join, with a lot of opportunities for social interactions.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	For campus housing, there was security. However there were a couple incidents of attacks on students while I was here. One happened because of the gay marriage legislation that passed while I was here, and some locals burned a gay bar. The other was a student who was unstable attacked another student with a knife. No one was seriously injured in either incident, but they could have been. Despite these incidents, I felt very safe on campus, and these were the only incidents I heard of all year.
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)
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?	I wrote out how much money I had to spend each week before I went. Once I was in Bangor, I would budget my expenses for every week, including what I needed and wanted. I would buy what I needed first and if I had leftover money, then buy what I wanted. I made sure to budget more for my first week, as I needed more supplies, like dishes and sheets that were one-time purchases.

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
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students 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?	independence flexibility of the UK schedule the ease of the application process
* What could be improved?	communication between the schools the enrollment process for the return semester at UMaine
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How difficult it would be to enroll in classes for the semester after my study abroad.

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:	Prince Madog Cruise
Course Department:	Ocean Science
Instructor:	Various
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The class was very interesting and provided a chance to do field research, analyze the results, and do a report. It was an example of what a research position in the field of Marine Science would be like. We didn't get to pick the topic, but there were both biological and oceanographic aspects to the project.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I had no issues.