Left My Heart in Stirling Past Review
By Kelly Ferreira (Daemen College) - abroad from 06/10/2017 to 07/08/2017 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Stirling - Summer in Scotland
I learned how to independently manage myself, which was my goal abroad. I handled planning trips, budgeting, self-care, and everything adulty you can think of, and I now feel more confident about living independently and traveling.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
My time at the University of Stirling International Summer School was life changing, as cliche as that might sound. Right from the get go I felt comfortable speaking with the interns involved with the program, and they were wonderfully friendly and informed. I ended up making a great group of friends to travel with, and the school as well as the CISAbroad site coordinator helped us when we needed it. It would have been nice to have some sort of meal plan for budgeting purposes, but I understand why they didn’t. The courses were incredibly engaging and the tutors knew how to work with international students, but still set high enough expectations that I felt well challenged. Through excursions and self-planned trips I felt like I got the entirety of the Scottish experience, and the connections I made encourage me to go back and travel around my home country. I would HIGHLY recommend this program - it’s well organized, has friendly staff, and is set in such a beautiful and local nook of Scotland that you’ll grow to feel is your second home. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $70/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Dedicate an account specific to food spending, and document what you spend your money on! It’ll keep you accountable. |
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? | That there would be less involvement with local students. While I loved the program, I do wish I got to integrate with the local student population, and take courses with them. |
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 LinguistYou 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! |
