I think I'm in love and her name is Scotland! CCSA Scotland Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

When taking a course abroad, you want to experience as much as you can! After all, you're in another country! Not being bogged down by class work and not having to worry about a course load is ideal so you can experience as much as you can in the little time as you have. Although a little history and work is nice for a cultural perspective, worrying about school is the last thing you want to deal with.

On-site administration of your program

Our host institution had a 24 hour lobby with someone always there to ask questions. It had free maps of the bus routes and certain parts of the city as well as several brochures for all kinds of sight-seeing. Even though I personally never used the lobby, it was a good to know that someone was there. The campus overall was pretty accommodating to any international students. We quickly realized that we were not the only ones visiting a new country. I never met the host institutions faculty leader or even knew if there was one, however I was never in desperate need of someone like that.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing was much better than I would have ever expected. The University of Edinburgh runs their dorms like a hotel service in the summer to cut cost of tuition for students in the academic year. Therefore, we got clean towels, sheets, and coffee refills every day. Plus, you get your own room, which you really can't beat. Even though it was small, it was completely accommodating for one person. Especially for the little time you actually spend in your room anyways. Another great plus was that we had a common area that had a fridge and microwave. A lot of us bought groceries and used these facilities. It not only was cheaper way to eat abroad, but it was also nice to not have to eat out every meal. The hotels we stayed at for group-related trips were quite nice, although only staying at them for one night doesn't really matter over all. Furthermore, the one hostel we stayed at in Inverness on our free weekend was found by us students, and therefore would be subjective for future students applying.

Our trip including breakfast every morning in the student cafeteria; with the exception of a few other meals, all of the rest of the meals we had to pay for. The breakfast was great at the University of Edinburgh. Although it was the same meal every morning, there was enough variety that I never really got tired of it. Plus, everything was pretty tasty. The only thing I wished was that more meals were included in the program so we didn't get so tired of eating out by the end of the trip.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Having a lot of free time is a definite plus for traveling abroad! There is so much to see and do, and not having the time to do it heartbreaking. This program offered PLENTY of free time. That's not to say that I was bored ever; it's just to say that I definitely felt as though I had plenty of time to see everything I wanted. We didn't have many non-academic programs besides eating out a few times together, but that's not a bad thing in my mind at all. Just having two hours to visit what we wanted in Glasgow before we all headed back on the train, or an hour to shop around St. Andrews was worth it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

You're in a foreign country so you're never going to feel as safe as you do in your home country. With that being said, I never felt in danger while I was abroad. We were told multiple times to not doing anything stupid, and that really is the best rule to follow. Girls should never be left alone on their own, and no one should ever go home with a stranger. If you feel as though somethings not right, get out of that situation. It's not hard, and it's a lot easier to enjoy things if you're not worried the whole time.

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

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• Hostel
• Hotel
• Dorm

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• Americans