So, so glad I studied abroad at ASE July 10, 2023

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Although the academics were sometimes intense (four 2000 word papers during five weeks is a lot to do, especially on top of all of the reading and other, smaller assignments!) only having two classes at a time made it much easier to balance academics and social / cultural engagement. The library was a great place to get work done, and there were plenty of resources there to use. I did mostly use my home university's research resources, though, since there's just a lot more available there than there is through ASE.

On-site administration of your program

The ASE staff is so wonderful, they are all incredibly friendly and helpful. There is always a staff member on call in case of an emergency, and students can also drop by any time staff members are in their offices and ask a question. Over time, I formed great relationships with some of the staff members and it was almost as hard to say goodbye to them as it was to say goodbye to my friends!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living in flats in the center of the city is perfect; we were within walking distance of anything we could need, and had easy access to buses and trains to travel farther distances. Some of the rooms were a bit small, but most doubles were much larger than those you'd normally find in a college dorm. Some challenges that came up, though, were the very bad laundry machines (I know some people who just gave up and went to laundromats) and the lack of some important kitchenware. Different flats had different crockery, and though for the most part it was sufficient, some flats had four spoons for five people, no large sauce pans, etc. The staff were very helpful in finding solutions to any issues that came up; most problems were just the result of not asking for help.

Since we all live in flats and townhouses, we cook (or buy) pretty much all our own food. The only times that isn't the case are on required overnight trips, when we are provided either a bagged lunch or a small stipend for purchasing a meal. Generally the stipend was insufficient to cover the full cost of food, but it was enough to make the meal more equivalent to what it would cost to cook at home.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

From the very beginning of the program, we were encouraged to connect with the greater community in Bath. We were offered opportunities to go on tours of the city run by ASE staff, invited to 'knit night' and other local events, and provided information about other events in the area.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt very safe in Bath and knew that even when I left on study trips or individual travel I could contact ASE staff for help if I needed it. One note, though, is that although I generally did feel safe walking around as a gender queer person, there were times that I was stared at or glared at (only ever by tourists) when I wore clothing that made me more visibly queer.

I had such an excellent academic and social experience, and was able to learn and experience all kinds of things that were specific to being in Bath. Overall, I really loved my time at ASE!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Bath is a pretty expensive city, and the study trips often go to places like London, Oxford, Swanage, etc. which are also fairly touristy and pricey. While there was one less expensive grocery store, food was definitely my main expense. That was especially the case at times when I was away on weekend trips and could not cook.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• We had so many opportunities to travel outside of Bath and see other places in the UK
• The courses were very specific to the location, and we were able to connect what we were learning to the places we were living.
• The program was set up well to facilitate connections with other students and with the greater community in Bath. It was easy to make friends and I ended up creating some great relationships in Bath.

• Sometimes ASE scheduled events for students without alerting the professors, resulting in times when it was challenging to complete work on time.
• This is only relevant to the summer school, but there wasn't much integration of the education, main, and theatre summer schools unless you were housed together or met right at the beginning of the program during orientation.
• It could have been nice to have slightly more communication about who we were going to live with before the program began; while we were provided with their names, we had to figure out contact information. It wasn't a big issue at all because they followed our housing requests well and almost everyone I knew had great relationships with their roommates, but it could have alleviated some stress.

The Academic or Linguist