Past Review
By Stephanie P (Communication and Media Studies., Simmons College) for
IFSA: St. Andrews - University of St. Andrews
YES!!! i learned so much about myself. I have moved around my whole life because of the military, so i didn't think i'd be afraid to go abroad at all, but I actually did get nervous and a bit homesick (for the first time in my life!). Dealing with that was scary, but totally worth it. I learned how to take a flight to a different country all by myself, adapt to a whole new academic/social system, deal with weird banking issues, and i made some of the best friends ever along the way. I repelled from a mountain-side, even though I'm terrified of heights, I tried weird foods, traveled and got stranded on the side of the road in the middle of italy in the pouring rain with nothing but clothing bags and 4 good friends - and i survived! So many random, weird, crazy, fun, scary, exciting, awesome things happened, I can't even begin to put them all into this little box. Basically, I wish I had a videotape of every second of it, so i can watch it when I'm like, 80, sitting in a rocking chair and knitting, thinking about what an exciting time i had.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of St. Andrews |
| 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 grading system was kind of out of whack (and by that I mean, it didn't make much sense to me because it was on a 20 point scale that didn't equate to our system). For instance, a 14 was considered an Honors Level, which is really above average, and actually quite good over there, but equates to about a C or so in our system. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought that Butler did a great job preparing us for the ups and downs, the emotional changes, the academic system, the social side of our University, and the overall experience. They were also really helpful with advising, even though the University itself wasn't very good at that. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The only thing that I can say about it was that the apartment complex was a bit far out of town, but my flatmates were awesome, and the actual apartment was great! It was just the half an hour walk into town that would get kind of tricky. |
| * Food: |
it's just because my cooking skills are not... well, let's just say, I'm no Emeril. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Please see above comments. Also, the trip to Argyll Forest Park with Butler further north in Scotland was fantastic. We didn't really know what we were in for, but a lot of us in the program signed up to go, and it was a lot of fun! I went mountain biking through some random Scottish mountains and we got caught in the snow, and had to push our bikes uphill, but it was quite the adventure. I also got to go repelling off of a mountain cliff which was terrifying, but really awesome. I never would have done something like that at home. Other kids got to go cave diving or cliff walking and that was really cool. I am the LEAST outdoorsy person too (legit, I would rather die than crawl through a cave or be out in the cold or wet and I'm terrified of heights) but this was a blast. I would do it all over again if I could. Also, Butler aside, the University always had random events going on like fashion shows or pub golf or a ball. There was even a full-on Oktoberfest in the middle of March. Random, but great. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
St. Andrews is like a little bubble. The only people that live there are students, young families with kids and the elderly. Overall, it was probably one of the safest places ever. I think the worst offenses they had there were public urination, and one or two thefts every now and again. So overall, I always felt safe. Even walking home at night. There were always people out and about, so it was definitely a safe place to be. |
| 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? | Shipping - value added tax (VAT) was horrible. Prepare to spend more than you normally would because a) the exchange rate sucks, b) you most likely will not have a job while you're there, c) you will want to go out - and it's kind of expensive, d) things add up quickly and e) if you plan on buying things there - toiletries, bedding, clothes, etc. - it's really expensive. Also, plan for travel money. Even if you don't think you'll be traveling much once you get there, that will all change. Friends of yours might want to travel, and it will sound like a lot of fun, and before you know it, you're on a plane!!!! Just be prepared! |
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?
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? | I think I said it all above, but if I could, I would do it all over again! It was the best experience ever - even the ups and downs, the scary parts (like the Icelandic volcano and being super far away from home), and the different culture - it was awesome. I would highly recommend it to anyone! |
