Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Fun Trip June 26, 2023

By (History, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/11/2023 to 05/26/2023 with

IFSA: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I think living alone in a foreign city was a good experience, and I learned a lot about doing so. I think it was absolutely worth doing.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I really enjoyed my courses, though they were more serious than I expected when studying abroad. I missed a good chunk of classes due to strikes, which was unfortunate.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration was very friendly and held a ton of programs, both to get us settled in and to facilitate traveling around Edinburgh and Scotland.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

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

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The IFSA-organized trip into the Scottish Highlands
* What could be improved?
  • The administration arranging for study abroad prior to arrival could have communicated more promptly.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Take the chance to travel. There’s never going to be a perfect time to do it, so just make sure to fit it into your schedule.