Brighton: My Home Away from Home Past Review
By Rebecca B (Theatre Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) for
IFSA: Brighton - University of Sussex
Traveling without my parents is something I hadn't really done. I am much more confident in myself to get things done and organize things now. Immersing myself in a completely new place was a huge adventure. The friends I made and other people I met along the way totally made the experience for me. I had to be accepting of a new culture and I loved every second of not having complete control. It was great.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Sussex |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teachers seemed very interested in our progress. The grades were fair and I definitely understand why their grades are the way they are. Getting a 90 or above would have been very difficult to get an A. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very informed and could answer any of our questions and kept in touch with us while at our university. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Having sheets and towels probided was quite helpful. The kitchens were not very well equipped and were rarely clean though most of the fault in that should go to the other students living in the building. |
| * Food: |
Meal sizes are just very different here and it was difficult to cook so there was not a whole lot of variety. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I got to see places all over England. Stonehenge was very cool and making little trips to London was extremely easy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt extremely safe. We always went around in little groups. If you're smart you should have no problem. I did not need a doctor at any time. I bought some over the counter medicine when I got a bit of a cold and it was fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would not change a thing. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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* Who did you take classes 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? | Come willing to try new things. Get into the culture. England is such a fantastic place and there's so much to see. Save money before going and spend too much. You will most likely not be back for an extremely long time and I can't imagine not going out with my friends for a night for fear of spending $10. Just do it. Save before. Borrow from parents and get a great job when you get back home. You'll regret it if you don't. Travel and see absolutely anything you can. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Intro to Microeconomics |
| Course Department: | IS040 |
| Instructor: | Karen Jackson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was just challenging enough to learn but not stress too much. My teacher was very well informed and allowed us to participate quite often. I spoke up a lot in class whether I knew an answer or needed help. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I should not have any issues with transfering credit as I got the course approved before coming here. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Art of the 20th and 21st Century |
| Course Department: | IS161 |
| Instructor: | Jacqueline Parry |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I do not have much interest in the subject matter, but I needed an Art History course for my major so I took this one. The instructor is very well informed and seems interested in our learning. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I should not have any problems with credit transfer as I got the course approved before coming abroad. |
