Granite City: Aberdeen Scotland Past Review
By Laura B (English Literature (British and Commonwealth)., DePauw University) for
University of Aberdeen: Aberdeen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
For me, I think the issue was that I didn't get involved enough right from the beginning, so I missed my opportunity to become involved. Also, I wish I had gone to a bigger city. Aberdeen was nice, but I think I would have had more fun in Edinburgh or London.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Coming from DePauw, I found the workload at Aberdeen to be incredibly light. In the lower level classes, all you need to do (besides show up to class) is write a paper and take and exam at the end of the semester; and some of the classes don't even require that. However, as you get into the upper level classes, there is more that is expected of you, such as out of class reading, participation in class discussion, exercises, papers, and exams. |
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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? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| 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? | Per week, I probably spent anywhere from £20-40, including food. Of course, some weeks it was more than others if I went out with friends, but when that happened I didn't spend a whole lot more. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Having to put money on my printing budget was a pain, but it didn't cost a whole lot since it only cost 5p a page to print black and white. My biggest piece of advice to a US student going to the UK is to use cash. Since the exchange rate is terrible, and because banks often charge a $2-3 transaction fee every time you use an American card outside of the US, I only used my debit card for actual purchases if it was over £50. Other than that, I used my card at an ATM every couple weeks to withdraw sizable amounts of cash, and that was it. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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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