England: A cultural experience I will never forget Past Review
By birschba.kels@uwlax.edu 2 (Marketing., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) for
University of Bradford: Bradford - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned a lot about myself while being abroad, such as that I am much more independent than I thought I was. I also realized just how oblivious I was to things going on around the world. It made me want to learn about different cultures and even learn more about my culture as an American.
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. |
The education system at my University was focused on letting students be independent with their learning. There was minimal homework, if any for classes and there were no tests except for the final exam. All of my classes required a group project, so that was very similar to classes at my American University. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Study Abroad Office at the University of Bradford was absolutely wonderful! They were always there to help me with my many questions and concerns and they always answered emails very promptly. They also planned many trips and social gatherings for all the international students. Without them, I don't think I would have met all the wonderful people I did nor would I have gotten to see England as much. They truly seemed passionate about their job and helping students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
At first I did not really like my accommodation I was living in. It was about a 10-15 minute walk from the main campus, and I was a little disappointed that my floor had mostly Americans on it because I wanted an international experience. There also were no sheets for me the first night I arrived and all the stores were already closed for me to buy some. I did appreciate having my own room though. There also were really nice flats, called the Green, located right on campus that I sometimes wished I could have lived in, but maybe since it was an exchange it would have been too expensive to live there. Maybe in the future students could have an option to pay more to live in a nicer and closer place, but now that I look back on my experience I wouldn't have changed anything :) |
| * Food: |
There is a ton of curry in Bradford! So, if you enjoy curry, you are definitely going to the right place. They also have a subway right near campus and a fast food burger place. There's also a place to get food in the campus building- very good breakfasts! The only downside was there weren't too many healthy options besides going to the grocery store and making food yourself. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were many cultural events on campus which displayed different students from all the around the world. It was amazing to learn about different cultures and realize that we are all so different, yet the same. We also got to partake in many English traditions, and got to visit and eat dinner with an English family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
During the orientation week there was a safety presentation for us which was very informative. My flat also had a safety class for us to attend. As with anywhere, I would always recommend walking with another person after dark. Also, since I was only there for a semester, the health center was not available for me to use. My one flatmate was pretty ill for awhile and I thought it was a shame that she couldn't use the health center. |
| 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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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? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | A student that is very outgoing and that wants to meet students from all over the world would benefit from this program. Bradford is a university with an immense amount of international students so you will learn about people from all around the world and not just England. I would suggest traveling a lot too. Being in England it is so easy to travel all around Europe. I would suggest booking everything in advance though! Train and plan tickets are so much cheaper when you book ahead of time and the prices go up very quickly! Definitely check out Ryan Air for cheap flights. Also, during orientation week you will learn about "Don't Be a Tourist" trips. They offer trips all around the UK for very affordable prices considering all the neat places they take you, plus it is another great way to meet other international students attending different universities. Another tip that I cannot stress enough is to get involved on campus- Join clubs, teams and go to all the get togethers that Sue Baker and Sue Bunny plan. There are many intramural sports to join such as fencing, archery, volleyball, football(soccer), mai tai, and trampolining. I joined trampolining and it was a great place to meet people and I even got to compete in a competition! Also, in order to join a sport you have to sign up for the gym but it includes free yoga and zumba classes which I would definitely recommend going to. Overall, I had a wonderful time abroad, where I made friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. :) |
