England gave me more than I could have imagined! Past Review
By Kirsten U (Elementary Education, St. Cloud State University) for
St. Cloud State University: Alnwick - St. Cloud in England
Absolutely!! I definitely learned and gained way more out of this experience than I ever thought I would!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Our British history class was very difficult because of what was expected to be memorized, however, I loved the Earth Science class because it was very hands on and we saw a lot of good examples throughout England. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Both the professor that went will us as well as the onsite administrator were extremely helpful, and they were always there to help answer questions! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
We ate in the restaurant, which no other program has, and our food was delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I absolutely loved celebrating Burns night at the castle in Alnwick! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
At one point during our trip, I had a terrible case of strep throat, and all the doctor and hospital would give me is tylenol because of their free health care stance. (This is nothing the program could have fixed). |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | During the school week all of your meals are covered. However, during the weekends you must buy your own food or go out ($10-$30 depending on where/what you eat). The rest of my personal money was spent on shopping and going to the pub (this can easily be regulated). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you have a budget, stick to it!! Also, find out if you have to pay a fee when you take money out of the ATM. |
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?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Bring warm clothes (for field trips! they can get very cold, wet, and windy). Also, bring fun clothes to go out in (they have awesome pubs!). It is definitely worth every penny. You will NOT be disappointed!!! The castle is the most amazing site you will ever see, and the town of Alnwick is so welcoming and friendly to all of the American students! |
