An incredibly eye-opening experience Past Review
By Robert S (EDUCATION., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) - abroad from 01/20/0014 to 05/31/2014 with
ISEP Exchange: Bradford - Exchange Program at University of Bradford
I really learned so much about the world in general, I was immersed in the British culture and I got to learn the similarities and differences of the country. I also made friends from all over the world and got to learn about their cultures as well! I really just experienced so many things and that was the most incredible part! I learned a little in the classroom, but learned far more outside of it, I learned things that will make me a more well rounded person! I've said that I think I would have had more fun if I had stayed at my home university, but I wouldn't trade going for the world because of all that I got to learn and experience and because of all the people I got to meet!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was very easy I thought, which was a good thing, it gave me more time to travel |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone at Bradford University was extremely nice and super helpful, they responded to emails right away and were always clear with instructions. They were super friendly and were always ready to help, they really were great!! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really can't complain about the housing, I mean it was dorm, nothing wrong with that! |
| * Food: |
I just got a weekly allowance to buy food, it was alright, I prefer the cafeteria style but they didn't have one, so no big deal, I don't mind cooking either! One thing that would have been great would be that if they would have taken donations of cooking supplies from past students and then lent them out to us to use, I had to either bring or buy everything I needed to cook with and then I didn't have anything to do with it when it was time to leave |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
People there were definitely friendly! I just found it easier to make friends with the other exchange students, really because they were in the same boat and wanted to travel and all, but it really would have been easy to make plenty of English friends too if I tried, there was plenty of events and such at which to make friends! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It was just fine! I mean I never used it, but I recieved insurance and all and it wasn't to confusing! |
| * Safety: |
I never had any incidents persally, but I know a lot of my female friends were often afraid to walk alone at night and there was a stabbing or something outside my hall, Bradford really wasn't the safest city in the world, but it wasn't awful either! |
| 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) |
England is definitely more expensive than America, especially with food and alcohol, but I'm a pretty frugal person so I was still able to get by fairly cheap |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Spend some time at the grocery store and really look closely to find whats cheap, towards the end of my stay I started saving money as I learned what was cheaper in England compared to what I usually buy in America! And be creative with what you eat! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That England was actually a lot more different than I expected, just because they are also a Western country doesn't mean they are the same as us! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
