An interesting semester. Past Review
By Catherine McDonald (University of Maine - Orono) - abroad from 09/18/2016 to 12/09/2016 with
University of Birmingham: Birmingham - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I definitely learned how to enjoy my own company. I definitely became for confident in myself and my actions.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Academically classes interesting but the school was unsupportive of international students academically and socially. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Was able to sign paperwork and answer basic questions. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Did not enjoy my living situation at all. Try and live in international housing or with other international students if you don't want to spend your entire semester with 18 year olds who couldn't care if you slept or not. |
| * Food: |
Did my own cooking. Many grocery stores around but not a ton of restaurants in the city. The places to eat on campus were pretty good and moderately priced tough. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt like I learned a lot about British culture but more from observing than partaking. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Path to the Vale was well lit, but there were some incidents in Selly Oak while I was at UoB that made me feel uneasy towards the end of the semester. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Classes were pretty easy and Birmingham was a decent jumping off point for places I wanted to go in the UK. |
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) |
The pound plummeted just before I got here. Grocery shopping was cheaper than home, got food for the week for roughly $35. I spent more money eating on campus though. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Weeks not travelling: $100 With weekend away:$400 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | One thing I did was make plans too far in advance and then have something come up and forfeit bus or train tickets, or hostel deposits. Also beware what kind of charges your debit or credit cards have. Don't eat out on campus during the day, pack a lunch. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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* 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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | How hard it was going to be to make friends with local students and how little support the International office would provide. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
