Plymouth: Still a Gateway City for Bus and Ferry travel Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Plymouth University was a great experience, but the courses were not difficult and there was little interaction between students. The workload was less than I expected it to be. The professors were highly knowledgeable and willing to help me understand the differences in requirements between my home country and the UK.

On-site administration of your program

The Study Abroad office was helpful in directing me to where I needed to go and about the services available.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived on an on-campus apartment. It was clean and private which I loved. Unfortunately, it was near several bars so it was not an area I would felt comfortable with walking around at night. The noise level was constant. My flatmates were very kind and helpful.

I loved getting to try new things! The tea shops and candy stores were especially great to go to!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was difficult to integrate with the local students. I was able to find a small group to hang out with who were very kind and welcoming, but many students were harder to get to know. Unfortunately, I had many encounters where I would introduce myself and upon hearing my accent, was quickly insulted and ignored. The setting was not very welcoming to foreign exchange students and I spent most of my time with other exchange students who understood the difficulties of connecting with the British students.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The healthcare was fantastic! I became very ill while I was abroad due to a severe cold (do not hike miles in the Scottish highlands through the rain). I also suffered from a drastic drop in iron due to the diet change and vitamin D from lack of sunlight. The University doctor I was given was extremely kind and helpful. She was definitely a comfort when I had to do various blood tests!

Plymouth University has two bars on campus and several surrounding it and the on-campus apartments. Due to this, I did not feel safe walking about by myself at night since there were drunks everywhere. When I was out late, I always traveled with a flatmate, in which case I felt safe. 99% of the time I felt completely at ease and I was always able to find someone to walk with. During the day I walked around town by myself without any worries and bus drivers and locals were always willing to point in the right direction.

The experience was a roller coaster of emotions. It was difficult to connect with local students (especially as I went during the 2016 Campaign season and many locals students had very strong negative views about Americans), I had an amazing time! The Professors were engaging, the sites are splendid, and the ability to travel was easy and affordable. The best part of the experience was not Plymouth University, but the avenues it opened. I was able to meet people from across the world and I have gained several friends from the experience that I continued to talk to through Whatsapp and skype. As a history and anthropology major, experiencing a new culture and witnessing the various historical monuments was a dream come true that made me cry on several occasions. I would not trade those experiences for the world!

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

Plymouth, England was very affordable! There are no on-campus cafeterias and the cafes are pricey, so the best option is to grab food off campus. There are multiple grocery stores within walking distance of the campus with cheap, nutritious food. I was easily able to spend $60 on food a week. Transportation is also very cheap in the UK in general, which allowed for great travel experience on a short budget.

Select all that apply

• Dorm
• Hostel

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• International Students

Select all that apply

• Local Students

• My Heritage and Public History class was amazing! We got to complete an entire project on a historical site which was time consuming and rewarding.
• The ability to travel easily and cheaply.

• The classes were not difficult enough. I found myself so bored sometimes, even Youtube was not fun.
• There should be more gatherings for exchange students to meet up during the school year.

The Avid Adventurer