Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I wish I could go back! Past Review

By (Truman State University) - abroad from 01/11/2016 to 05/07/2016 with

College Consortium for International Studies (CCIS): Ormskirk - Edge Hill University

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think I got a broader understanding of Western Culture. It was worthwhile because of the people I met, I think. And also cheap travel

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was different than in America, with basically no homework and assessments maybe in the middle of the year, but definitely at the end of the year. It was kind of weird with so much free time, but also knowing in a few months everything is going to be due. But it wasn't even that much, only a paper or two per class, and maybe a test, but they make up all of your grade.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The study abroad staff were excellent

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

It was no better or worse than the food at the dining hall in America. And if you didn't want the food they provided you could always get something from the store or go into town or something

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I feel like I mostly hung out with Americans/ other study abroad students, although I made a few international friends.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health care issues, except I got a couple of colds, but I never went to the doctor or anything.

* Safety:

I felt very safe, at least on campus. I always went out with other people, especially at night, so there were no complaints there of harassment or anything. People there do get drunk a lot more that I've experienced at Truman, but they all seemed harmless.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I may have gone to Spain, or some other Spanish speaking country, because it would have been nice to work on my foreign language.

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)

I had saved a lot for the trip, and had originally been planning on living off of $120ish a week (because of the conversion to pounds), but I was able to cut back to about $50 because I wanted to save up for travel.

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? Get a railcard, it is worth it in the long run because most traveling is done by train.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Traveling
  • Meeting people
* What could be improved?
  • Information about classes so it wasn't such a rush when we got there
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I would mostly be meeting other Americans studying abroad. While it was a nice thing to have people going through the same things as me, it would have been nice to meet more local students, although I guess I could have branched out more, but by that time it was almost too late. 2nd semester is also maybe not the best time to go it you want to meet local students because by then they already have their friends and it may be difficult to integrate into their groups.

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 Urbanite
A 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.