By the end of the program, Edinburgh felt like home. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was in class for only about 8 hours a week and was expected to do most of my learning outside of the classroom. However, there were no assignments during the semester to gauge my learning progress and the professors did not give specific readings that we were supposed to be completing. Also, while it was a good experience to be immersed in a different education system, the university itself was rather disorganized and did not seem well equipped for accommodating international students.

On-site administration of your program

The people were very friendly and willing to help! The reason I gave them 3 stars was beacause of the very poor planning for our first day in Scotland. They picked us up at the airport and then dropped us off at our flats without giving us any information. It would have been helpful to have been told about the nearest grocery stores, pharmacies, or how to work the bus system. Also, I think an event should have been planned on the first day to help the international students start to get to know each other.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was recently built so it was very new and the kitchens were well equipped to accomodate 7 people. It was also very nice having our own bedrooms and bathrooms. The downsides were that the walls were quite thin and that laundry was very expensive.

The grocery stores were easily accessible and well priced. There were also local markets on the weekends and plenty of local cafes and pubs that were very fun to explore!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The best way to get to know people is to volunteer, join societies, and join other groups in the community. I loved getting to know locals and was blown away by their kindness and hospitality!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Registering with a General Practitioner was pretty easy and thankfully, I did not need to use it during my time abroad. From what I heard about the experience of other students, however, it seemed it was hard to get in for appointments if necessary since wait times were very long.

I never felt unsafe in Edinburgh! It is a very family-friendly city with lots of well lit streets. In fact, it was ranked the 3rd safest city in the world.

I feel in love with Edinburgh! The culture, the sights, and most importantly, the people blew me away.

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

Food was very affordable and overall I didn't have issues sticking to my budget. The one unforeseen expense, however, was the bus pass. A bus pass was necessary because the campus buildings were very far away from the student housing (about an hour walk along a freeway) and cost almost $60 a month. It was really handy to have the bus pass and Edinburgh has a great bus system, I just wasn't expected to have to purchase one.

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• Dorm

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• International Students

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• Local Students

• The location--Edinburgh is an incredible city.
• The friendships I made.
• The ability to travel on weekends and during breaks to other parts of Europe.

• More events and information sessions for international students during the first week to help them get acclimated.
• More clarity on which classes would transfer back to my home university.
• More information given upfront about ways to get involved on campus and in the Edinburgh community.

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