Past Review
By Jennifer R (History, Economics, SUNY - Binghamton) for
SUNY Binghamton: Nottingham - Exchange & Study Abroad Program at University of Nottingham
Absolutely. I'm a much more independent person now. I gained a more global perspective of the world, instead of just the American view that I used to have. I proved to myself that I can do a lot more than I thought I could and I really enjoyed my four months away from home. It was amazing.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | University of Nottingham |
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Some of my classes were really enriching, and taught subject matters that I do not have access to in Binghamton. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I didn't really interact with the international office that much. I kind of just did my thing. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was placed in Ancaster Hall (a dorm) in a "discounted single." It was really small and I shared a unisex bathroom with 15 people. It was interesting. <br /><br /> See above. |
| * Food: |
I'm vegetarian and I felt really deprived of any vegetables that weren't potatoes. The food was pretty grim and the choices/quality were pretty bad. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Traveling opened my eyes to a lot that's out there in the world, and helped me become a more independent person. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My friend got bacterial meningitis and I was in close contact with her and I have to say I was completely dissatisfied at the level of concern/reaction the hall she was in took and the delay in reaction of UHS. Someone else in her hall had it before her, and instead of taking preventive measures, they just sent the student home. They had to wait for my friend to be in the hospital for three weeks before they actually gave pills out and gave everyone vaccines. UHS was always pretty helpful, I got sick a few times, so I had to pay 30 pounds each time to see a doctor. |
| 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? | It really varied from week to week,depending on if I traveled that weekend, but I would say to allot yourself about 150-200 a week. This is because the exchange rate is not in our favor. I didn't really spend any money on food while I was in nottingham because I was in halls, but if you want to experience the nightlife, it does cost more. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you plan on traveling over any break, SAVE for it. Overestimate a little bit how much you'll need, and make sure you have that amount. I ended up spending a lot less than I thought I would, so I'm much better off than I thought I'd be. However, I didn't need groceries ever, so I had some expenses taken care of, which was nice. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Nottingham is a smaller city, but it's a nice city. It's easily accessible to low cost airlines and other places in England, so travel and sightsee. And, most importantly, GET INVOLVED in some club or society. I learned that your exchange program is what you make of it, and I took advantage of every opportunity I could. As a result, my entire experience from beginning to end resulted in the best four months of my life. |
