The time of my life! Past Review
By Brianna J (Biology/Psychology, Loyola University Maryland) - abroad from 09/16/2013 to 12/16/2013 with
Loyola University Maryland: Newcastle upon Tyne -
The experience I had was completely worthwhile. My only regret was that I didn't stay for the full year. I learned so much about different cultures, different ways of life and I even learned so much about myself. I made friends with some amazing people and I got the opportunity to travel to the places I always dreamed of. I can't even put into words how happy living in Newcastle made me!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Newcastle University is a great place for all types of students. Although the class sizes were bigger than I was used to, I still was able to follow along with lectures and talk to professors after class. I happened to love all of the modules I took and got lucky with some really inspiring professors who I still keep in contact with. The modules I took only factored in the final exam grade as the final grade for the class, which isn't always the best, but I felt as if I learned enough in lectures to do ok on the exam. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
If you could, try to live in Windsor Terrace! It is about 10-15 minutes from campus and very close to town! Everyone gets their own bedroom with up-to-date appliances! |
| * Food: |
England gets a bad rep for its food, but I didn't really mind it at all. I liked going to the market and getting fresh food to cook! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living with English flatmates made it easy to integrate into the local culture. In addition, everyone was super friendly which also made easy to fit in and learn more about the culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I actually had two instances where I needed healthcare. My on-site coordinator advised me that if the problem was not severe that it would be best to speak to a pharmacist. I was able to walk to the pharmacy in under ten minutes and when I asked for the pharmacist he spent time with me; he asked me questions and checked my symptoms just as a doctor would. He was also able to prescribe me medication right then and there. I didn't have to call ahead or wait, and I felt like I was correctly diagnosed, especially because the medicine worked right away! |
| * Safety: |
I hardly ever felt unsafe in Newcastle or in my flat. |
| 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) |
If you are looking to spend a minimal amount of money, England isn't for you. The pound conversion is not great, although there are ways to be conscious and smart about what you are spending. I gave myself a budget each week and tried to use a credit card (Bank of America Travel Rewords has no fees regarding conversions) as much as possible so I wasn't charged with ATM fees or conversion fees. I bought food at the market instead of eating out or going to an expensive food store. Its hard not to spend money in Newcastle because there are stores everywhere so it is important to make a budget and stick to it. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Think about when you spend 20 pounds what that means in dollars! You might think it is a great deal, but once you go home and look at your bank statement you will realize that you cannot look at numerical amounts the same when it comes to shopping! |
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? | The fall semester is very short when compared to the spring semester. If you are planning on spending most of your time in England and do not want to travel much, the fall semester should be perfect. If a major reason why you are studying abroad is to travel around Europe, I would suggest going the Spring semester for for the full year. From what I was told, international students with a student visa are not allowed to leave the country if they have class, meaning you are not technically allowed to travel during the week. This makes it difficult because that only leaves weekends to travel, but the spring semester students get a month long spring break of no class! This seems ideal because then you can spend your time traveling during that month and the rest of the time in Newcastle. I wish I had spent more time in Newcaste itself and less time stressing about making a plane sunday night to be home for class on monday. Just something to think about when trying to figure out which semester is best for you. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
