The Burrah' Past Review
By Haley Brown (Suffolk University) - abroad from 01/03/2016 to 05/27/2016 with
Arcadia: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh
Overall, this was one of the best experiences of my life. I truly felt comfortable in Edinburgh and not only had the freedom of a college student, but also the freedom to travel around Europe and experience new cultures and cities for the first time. I learned so much about Europe, Great Britain and Scotland, and I never anticipated falling in love with Edinburgh and Scottish culture as much as I did. It is a completely unique and breathtaking city with an amazing, rich history and food/art/culture scene, and I am thankful every day that I was able to spend five whole months in such an amazing place. I gained so much from this experience: knowledge, friends, and most importantly, a new perspective on life that has helped me to grow into a more worldly person.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The educational structure in Scotland is very different from anywhere else and it definitely surprised me. It was more heavily dependent on independent learning with little to no quizzes, tests, or assignments. Compared to the US, you were completely accountable for your own learning of the content and grades from the few assignments/tests were heavily weighted. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Arcadia administration was absolutely awesome and maintained contact/support throughout the entire semester. They also organized lots of awesome, affordable trips that helped bring the Arcadia exchange students closer together. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My housing was in a prime location and the quality of the furniture provided was good, but the building was simply old and outdated. |
| * Food: |
I purchased and prepared all of my own food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Most of my friends were other exchange students/americans, but I also had a few friends from Scotland/England. All the experiences I had with Scots were very positive and they are very open, friendly and lively, which immediately made me feel very comfortable, welcome and integrated into the local culture in Edinburgh. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to go to the emergency room at one point during my stay and because I registered with a local physical through the University of Edinburgh when I first arrived, everything was easy, painless, fast and they were very helpful and friendly. Overall, it was probably the best experience I've had with emergency services/healthcare. |
| * Safety: |
I never once felt uncomfortable in Edinburgh. It is a very safe city, making it extremely fun and enjoyable. With that being said, it still is a city and crime still does occur, but overall I felt very secure during my entire stay. Use your common sense, don't walk through the meadows alone at night and don't go into Grey Friar's Kirkyard at night (unless you're on a guided ghost tour!). |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Arcadia was amazingly supportive and organized such fun events, and I am thankful to have chosen such an active program. Scotland was always a dream of mine, and after having experienced the culture and Edinburgh first-hand, I would never trade my experience for anything in the world. Another thing I loved about this program is that it was longer than most of the others, lasting give or take 5 full months. |
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) |
It's the pound, it hurts (exchange rate was almost 1.5 dollars/pound at one point during my stay). With that being said, in the grand scheme of Great Britain and for being the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh was pretty affordable. I received a Historical Scotland card from Arcadia, which allowed me free entry to the major historical/tourist sites that were the most expensive. As far as going out, there are lots of cheap options, especially during the week along the Cowgate and Grass Market (Biddy Mulligan's has a student discount and live music every night AND Hive is free during the week with 1 pound shots). Groceries are also relatively cheap, and you can definitely get by if you budget correctly. I would rate it a 2-2.5 |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It depended on the week, but typically I spent 100-150 pounds a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't become a regular at the fancy/hipster bars/clubs. They will gouge you for food/drink prices and you will spend much more money than you want to. That doesn't mean don't try them because you do need to experience some of them, just maybe not all the time. Be careful about going out in Edinburgh. A lot of the student housing in located around the main bar/clubbing street and Brits go out every night. Even though it's relatively cheap to go out, it will add up FAST. Pace yourself. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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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? | The learning/teaching methods and how the Scottish education system is structured. |
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. |
