England: New Home Away From Home Past Review
By Erin5 (Hamline University) for
Hamline University: York - University of York
It was a good experience overall. I learned alot about myself and a new culture. I was able to meet interesting people, work alongside the locals, and travel across Europe. Academically it was interesting to see how their schooling worked but I felt like one course was not enough to fully do this. I would like to experience more cultures and hope to travel more in the future.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall the academic experience was good. I learned alot in my course with the Hamline professor, 'Women in England'. It was a little difficult to get adjusted to the England academics as I was only taking one course. It had less structure then classes I've taken in the U.S. with only one assignment at the end. This was a paper that was assigned over a month long break so it was difficult to get advice/help from the professor. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
She was very knowledgable and helpful. She was only there for the first two weeks and the last month so it might have been nice for her to have been there longer to tell us more about the history of York and plan field trips around the area. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I felt very safe but the dorm itself made me feel kind of like I was trapped in a box. It was nice to have my own room but like I said before I would have preferred more of an apartment housing situation with roomates. |
| * Food: |
The cafeteria food was surprisingly good, always with a vegeterian option. The meal plan ended half way through so that was disappointing because the kitchen facilities available were communal with small fridges and not too clean. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our group took a five day field trip to London which was a highlight of my study abroad experience. The university also had social events that we were invited to be a part of. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city felt extremely safe. Healthcare was not too easily accessible. I was turned away at the campus health services beacause I was not technically a visiting student. They refferred me to a free healthcare center but this was on the otherside of town which was not easy to get too. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you don't speak another language, want to learn more about a country with a long and interesting history, internship experience, ect. |
