Study Abroad in England on a Budget Past Review
By Robert B (Music Production and Technology, University of Hartford) for
Staffordshire University: Stoke-on-Trent - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Since our "program" was so small (only three students going abroad) we got little attention from the department. Everything was very last minute. They were accessable but not always very helpful. The advisors of the academic programs at both Universities, Scott Metcalfe at home and David Revill abroad, were the most helpful, making up for the short comings of the study abroad department. Once again, do your own research, especially when it comes to your ability to enter the country. The study abroad department gave no support in this area. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Clean safe and very private. The only crappy thing was that the internet would go out occasionally(about once a month). It is right across the street from campus and is within walking distance of town and the train station. |
| * Food: |
We did most of our cooking for ourselves. On the occassions that we went out we weren't impressed with English cuisine. The Indian food is fantastic though. Get curry and you won't be dissapointed. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Travelling is the best thing to do. If you go in a program travel by yourself if you can. Europe is a great place to travel around and have a good time. We did no sponsored trips and enjoyed every single one of them. Travel is cheap and relatively easy if you plan ahead. Getting around England itself is even easier. Get a student rail card and you can get anywhere for pretty cheap. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The town of Stafford is sleepy as English cities go. Not a lot of crime and everyone is very nice. It is clean and safe. It was a good place to be based out of for a study abroad. Didn't have much experience with the health care system, but support was in place if something were to go wrong. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | It is easy to live on a budget in Stafford. There are a couple of cheap grocery stores in town, ASDA being the most affordable. Travel is also easy on a budget. The biggest obstacle is pubs. They'll eat your money. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
They speak English so not a huge deal. You get the ocassional word confusion, but despite that you understand each other perfectly well. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do it and you'll love it. Put yourself out there. The returns for your risk are amazing. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Studio Techniques |
| Course Department: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technology |
| Instructor: | Paul Hodson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The class size was very large, there were limited lectures and instructional time, and the studio time offered during the course of the semester was also limited. Despite these short comings the class had some advantages. Paul is a very experienced professional with years of hands on experience. The hands-on experience, although limited, helped to teach valuable lessons in working with a team and with musicians and clients who are not your first choice. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Live Applications of Music Technology |
| Course Department: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technology |
| Instructor: | Ben Ramsey and Eddie Wade |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Fantastic course focusing on the use of Ableton Live as a performance tool. The instructors have hands on experience using Live in a performance context and encourage creativity in the applications of the software. The performance at the end of the course really helped to give the course work direction and was a nice way to end the semester. A difficult paper is part of the final assesment but it definitely reiforces the lessons of the class if the research is done well. I highly reccomend this class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Advanced Pro Tools Techniques |
| Course Department: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Technology |
| Instructor: | David Revill |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Dave Revill is the man. This course was informative, hands-on, and very open ended. The software was taught in an exciting way, puting the power of Pro Tools in a musically creative context. Dave was always willing to help and go above and beyond the call to make sure that everyone understood the material and was producing musically viable results. The experience with the Pro Tools HD studios, complete with all the Digidesign gear including a Control 24, was very helpful in gaining useful professional knowledge. Dave is also a certified Digidesign operator and instructor and offers courses in PT 101, 110 and beyond if you can reach that level in the time you are abroad. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Private Study in Audio Electronics |
| Course Department: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering, and Technology |
| Instructor: | Charles Walker |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Great hands on experience in audio electronics. The lecture sessions were discussion based and Charles always made sure we understood. The lab work was directly connected to audio systems that engineers use every day. The lab was always available and the technicians in the lab were always willing to help. The experience in this course is worthwhile for any serious audio engineer to have. The exams were difficult, but a worth while test of the value of the course. They helped to clear up uncertainties in the conceptual understanding of the material. Charles was a fair instructor and a great person to learn from. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Audio and MIDI Management |
| Course Department: | Faculty of Computing Engineering and Technology |
| Instructor: | David Revill |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Another great Pro Tools course focusing on the PT 110 level material. Fantastic approach to creative production in the Pro Tools domain. Once again, Dave Revill is the man. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
