Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Parliamentary Experience in Edinburgh Past Review

By (Political Science and Government., Trinity University) - abroad from 01/09/2013 to 04/26/2013 with

IFSA: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I loved my time abroad, don't get me wrong. I think I would have enjoyed my time more if I wouldn't have done the Parliamentary Internship. And as much as I love rain, constant rain for 5 months really can get to you. My experience was certainly worthwhile, and I loved it a lot. As an adventurous outdoorsy type, if I could turn back time, I would have gone to New Zealand or Australia.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

As a part of the Scottish Parliamentary Internship that I participated in, we only took five weeks worth of courses. I think quality was certainly compromised to achieve the time frame needed.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were so personal, attentive, and available to help out with any issues.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Because I was a part of the internship with other American students, they placed us in housing together so I didn't get to live with any other local or international students. The dorms were pretty shoddy.

* Food:

The UK is not known for it's fantastic cuisine...you CAN find it, but you really have to seek it out. Grocery stores were convenient, but in my dorm, for 6 people we had a tiny UK standard refrigerator. Getting used to the space takes some adjusting. Different grocery culture.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It would have helped more if I would have been able to join "societies" at my host university. The structure of my program made it very difficult to be integrated in the university.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

As a student, doctors visits were completely free. I didn't realize that I would benefit so much from the UK healthcare system, but in a cold rainy place, sickness was pretty commonplace.

* Safety:

I never had any issues or felt uncomfortable walking around the city. Broken glass on the streets and sidewalks is common, but it gets cleaned up pretty fast.

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

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)

The USD-Pound exchange rate is not in our favor...it is more expensive to live in the UK. It's very doable if you're reasonable and rational, but for the average study abroad student, it's a bit of a shock at first, I think.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? About 20-30 Pounds (around 40-50 USD)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you want to travel internationally, plan your trips early and wisely. You're more money savvy and smarter in general if you don't party and buy alcohol nightly (Should be a no brain-er, but it isn't for everyone. Drinkers, be warned.)

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

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The fact that it was in Edinburgh--in spite of the cold, it's a wonderful city!
* What could be improved?
  • Integration of Scottish Parliamentary interns into the University of Edinburgh student community.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? When you opt to do the Scottish Parliamentary Internship, you are going to be living with and taking all of your classes with and working with the same American students every day. Classes were held in a building off campus, all in the exact same room. These details were left out of the program description when I applied. I should have more proactively spoken to a student who had been and experienced this before I decided to do it.