Awesome time at the Glasgow School of Art! September 10, 2024
By Nicoletta C (Studio Art, Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/29/2024 to 05/24/2024 with
Glasgow School of Art: Glasgow - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I became a more confident painter, student of fine arts, and international traveler. It was certainly worthwhile and I would like to go back someday.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
very hands - off self driven educational experience with expectation of consistent, diligent work for large assessment at end of the semester. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Rebecca Bill (the GSA program head) was extremely helpful and responsive. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a lovely dormitory (Margaret Macdonald House) in a residential area a 5-10 minute walk from campus and a 15 minute walk from my studio. It was great, I had a single room with a bathroom/shower and a shared kitchen with 4 other students. |
| * Food: |
no dining hall so I had to adapt to cooking for myself. Great little grocery a 10 minute walk from my dorm. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt welcomed by local students and teachers however entering during the spring rather than fall semester to a program with very few other exchange / study abroad students made it slightly difficult to meet people. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
glasgow public health care is difficult to access unless you go to one of the facilities in person. |
| * Safety: |
EXTREMELY SAFE and walkable! great public transportation as well. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved being in Glasgow and attending an art school. It was wildly different from Middlebury and an awesome way to change things up / learn about a different way of studying / being. |
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) |
Food was relatively cheap depending on what you bought / how much you cooked at the home however the British Pound unfortunately is currently worth less than the dollar. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 120. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a student bus / train pass - They're free in scotland! Tons of stuff like that is free if you're a student (museum passes, movie tickets, etc) - always worth looking. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That the winter is extremely dreary, rainy, dull etc however the spring is beautiful. And, that the student experience at Glasgow is highly self-driven. |
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. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Painting and Print Year - Studio 2 - Semester 2 |
| Course Department: | Painting and Printmaking |
| Instructor: | Graham Lister |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was more challenging than studio classes at Middlebury both due to the dearth of expected work to complete and the expectation of a cohesive, investigative body of work by the end of the semester. I spent much time at the many local museaums and galleries in glasgow and the school did a fabulous job promoting various gallery openings to students. Professors were highly knowledgable and flexible, meeting one on one with students weekly to discuss their work and direction as well as hosting small group workshops on specific mediums and artmaking ideas. Since class often consisted of spending time in the studio (the expectation being roughly 8 hours a day) I definitely spent more time in "class" than I typically would at Middlebury. I was assessed at the end of the semester with both a studio visit to view finished work from my tutor and had to produce a 30-40 page typed document detailing my research, conclusions, and produced work of the semester. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am currently figuring out my credit transfers and will check back in! I am seeking credit for studio electives as well as art history. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
FACS Year 2 Exploring the Discipline |
| Course Department: | Fine Art Critical Studies |
| Instructor: | Elizabeth Hodson, Neil Clements |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class had a challenging final paper which involvement tying two important terms/theories from the entire semester together in a cohesive manner. I found the teacher to be a lively lecturer and enjoyed the post-lecture guided discussions. I participated often in the discussion as it was a small group however the lecture was a traditional one without audience participation. The class did not offer field trips, however we did learn about artists relevant to Glasgow's history whose work was on display in local museums. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Havent transferred credit YET but hoping for Art history credit to count towards major in studio art. |
