A trip of a lifetime: New friends, new experiences, and an open mind - Summer in the British Isles Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I enjoyed the way that my educational experience was set-up while abroad in England. We were at Edgehill University in Ormskirk, England and it was an absolutely beautiful campus! I loved the people that I encountered there and the facilities that were available to us. The classrooms were a perfect set-up and offered a great atmosphere for our learning. The workload was very managable while I was abroad because there was no specific paper that I was overwhelmed with while I was traveling. My professor made all major papers and projects due a month after we had returned home from our trip. I enjoyed that as part of our class we were required to write a daily journals on what we did while abroad and about our excursions. Not only did this act for a grade, but it also acts as a resource for me to look back on my memories from my trip.

On-site administration of your program

My host country was very very courteous and helpful while I was on site at their campus. On my first day of being there I managed to lock my keys in my room and the security office immediately helped me to get back in. When I broke my leg whiel abroad the university was very willing to work with me and provided me with extra pillows to prop my leg and a wheel chair to get around campus. I felt that the adminstration could have been a little more present in all of our experiences and providing us with the absolute best services possible when it came to our transportation methods.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was very displesed with the housing arrangements that we had on campus. All though the dorms were very nice, I felt that they could have been more cleanly when it came to common spaces such as the bathroom, kitchen, and gathering room. I also would have preferred to have been placed in the same dorm as the rest of the students from my trip. Becoming acquainted with a new country can make one very home sick and it would have been nice to have friends around me. The students from our program were split up all over campus when it came to housing so that we could be intergrated with other local students, but since it was the summer term not many local students were on campus anymore. In the future it would be best to put all the students from the program in the same dorm so that relationships can be formed to last the entirety of the trip. While in London, our hotel was displeasing. We were in very tight quarters that could barely fit ourselves plus our luggage. The bathroom amenities were not at all satisfactory to the amount of students staying within the room. The staff was highly rude to us while we were staying there. Although the hotel was located in a great section of London, I would never reccomend that hotel to anyone, nor would I choose to stay at it again.

The food on campus was absolutely amazing. Althought Edgehill had a smaller dining room, the options to choose from were always delictable! The workers at the dining services were very willing to work with us in helping us to understand the system in their cafeteria. However, I would ahve preferred having some options as to where to find food on the numerous accounts that dining services was closed. Compared to my home university where dining services is always an option, this was a majro change for me when I couldn't find something to eat on campus.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

One of my favorite experiences from my trip was when two of my advisors and some of the students arranged for a spur of the moment trip to Scotland. Although I feel that the program should have had something prepared for us for this long weekend, it was nice that our professors helped us to plan something. Unfortunately, this money came out of our own pocket for the trip. I loved experiencing Edinburg, Scotland and the cultural things that I got to see while we were there. All of the excursions planned for us were wonderful and showed us places in England that I felt were very crucial for us to learn about. None of these places were major tourists traps so we got to see places that most people normally do not see.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

While at Edgehill University I had absolutely no concerns about my safety. The small town atmosphere defiitely added to that sense of feeling. Unfortunately, while abroad I broke my leg while in the 3rd week of our trip. Fortunately my home university prepared me very well in case I was to encounter an emergency while I was in England. Although I was given emergency phone numbers by my program, I had to find my way to the emergency room on my own. Fortunately, 3 friends came with me and were there when I had to get xrays and a cast. Then when I had to go to the orthopedic doctor in London Carolina came with me and another friend to make sure that everything was handled properly. It was very intersting dealing with the United Kingdom's healthcare system because it is free when you are at any public health center.

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

Select all that apply

• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Americans
• Local Students

• The local students that I met
• The excursions
• The close knit relations of my abroad group

• The living situation at the local university
• The hotel in London
• The transportation services