The most remarkable experience ever! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Courses were extraordinary. I learned so much about the subjects, plus learned new study skills. Courses offered field trips. Instructors were always available, insightful, and engaged.

On-site administration of your program

Candida, Sapphire and the entire ISEP team were there whenever I had a question, no matter how inane. They were patient and went far above and beyond, even helping me find a creative writing program outside the University. I even had a short piece of fiction published while in the UK.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My room was in a Victorian row house. It was bright, very clean, and spacious for a dorm room. It was a single. Linens were supplied. There was a kitchen on my floor, two in the house. All appliances, cutlery, plates, glasses and cookware were supplied. There was only one other dorm room on my floor, eventually occupied by a student from Rwanda. We became friends and still e-mail two years later.

The on-site cafeteria was big, never over crowded with a very good menu. They offered regular as well as vegan menus. The main dining hall had a glass-roofed conservatory along the perimeter that was the perfect place to meet my new friends for most all meals. I had a food stipend that was unexpected. It paid for almost all my food expenses, plus-depending upon y budgeting, I often had enough cash for a meal out.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I met six students outside the ISEP group that became daily companions in the dining hall. We went to movies, museums, a virtual reality arcade, and did our shopping and touring together. I went on ISEP excursions and befriended almost all my fellow exchange students. We visited Liverpool and Manchester for the museums, a second time to Manchester for the Christmas Fair, and had Thanksgiving dinner hosted by our ISEP representative Candida in her home in Liverpool .

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had my ongoing prescriptions filled at no cost as part of the NHS. There is no fee. All you do is check in, and we had help from ISEP if we had questions.

Chester is a delight. It's easy to just ramble around in the inner city (within the amazing and intact Roman era walls). There is Story House, a combination of live theaters and movie theaters. It is a lending library, meeting rooms and a cafe. There are programs for adults and children. Shopping in Chester is amazing-there was nothing I couldn't find.

Courses were amazing, presentations were actually fun to do. Instructors were delightful, approachable, humorous, and extremely well prepared. They were passionate about their topics and supportive to the students. The university is beautiful, the library is a delight, and there are clubs and groups available for extra-curricular activities. Chester the city is compact, full of things to see and do, and the train station opens up all of the UK and Europe, if you're inclined to travel.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I had enough money while in the UK. My debit card worked in any machine or when shopping. I bought a two month BritRail pass before I left the US, so was able to go anywhere in the UK simply by walking to the train station. I visited Wales, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and Manchester. I managed several day trips to London for shopping and theater. Friends from the US came for a week during my break, so I had a great visit from home.

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• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• The ISEP team is awesome
• Immersion in the local community was a benefit.
• The program encourages independant as well as supervised excursions to museums, galleries, points of interest, and time out with friends.

• Buying a laundry card was difficult. The don't take foreign credit or debit cards. Laundry was a challenge. I had to have a local friend buy my cards so I could do laundry.

The Academic or Linguist