IFSA-Butler Edinburgh: A Great Mix Between Immersion and Support Past Review
By Lisa Z (Sociology and Community Health, Tufts University) for
IFSA: Edinburgh - University of Edinburgh
Yes definitely! Studying abroad is an amazing experience no matter where you go but Edinburgh is definitely unique. I learned a lot about Scotland and the UK from classes, travel and the people. I definitely want to travel more in the future.
Personal Information
| 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 workload was definitely less than at Tufts but it depends which class you take. There is only about 2 hours in class per class and each student takes 3 classes. Most classes have just a midterm and final for assessment. There is reading but it isn't graded. The professors do not care as much as they do at Tufts because the classes are bigger in general. Edinburgh has a different grading scale but the grades are converted to the American system when you come back to Tufts. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Butler staff are great! They have an office in Edinburgh and were accessible and responsive whenever I needed help. They knew a lot about Edinburgh and traveling. They even helped me arrange my trains for spring break. The program had about 70 students from all different US universities. It was a really good size to meet people. After the orientation we were never all together as a group again. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved my housing arrangements. I was in a university flat with 5 British first years. It worked out really well. The neighborhood was safe and close to everything I needed. My flat was a 10 minute walk to classes and 20 minutes to the main shopping street. Hardly ever had to take a bus because everything was in walking distance. |
| * Food: |
Edinburgh isn't known for its food but overall it worked out well. I cooked most of my meals in my flat but also went to some restaurants. There is a wonderful restaurant called Mums with Scottish food which is great! Also good Indian places. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Edinburgh is amazing and so is Scotland. I got to travel around both with the Butler program and without it. The Butler program takes the students on 2 trips to the Highlands which were both good. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Edinburgh is very safe as long as you don't do anything stupid. The university health service was very accessible. There was no charge associated with it outside of program fees. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably spent out 20 pounds a week on food at most. Going out to dinner was usually about 10 to 15 pounds. Pubs and clubs can be pretty cheap depending on when and where you go. There are a lot of student discounts at many businesses. What makes Edinburgh expensive is the exchange rate. Otherwise it is not as bad as London and Paris. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Have enough money to go out and take trips. It adds a lot to the experience. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | DO IT!!! Edinburgh is an amazing city and Scotland has its own unique culture. English is definitely a great thing as I had conversations with people I couldn't have had in any other language. These experiences and conversations make the semester great! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Politices of the Welfare State |
| Course Department: | Social Policy |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Not too much work and very interesting! The professors know what they are talking about. Big class so no class participation. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
