Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Fun, Internationally-Minded Place to Spend a Semester Past Review

By (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Middlebury College) - abroad from 01/14/2013 to 05/16/2013 with

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained what I wanted and hoped to gain: a sense of independence, a broader view of the world, and a stronger feeling of confidence in myself and my abilities. I made good new friends and had a lot of fun traveling with old ones. It was definitely worthwhile. Having said that, I missed my family and friends every day and often felt like I was living in self-imposed exile. I appreciate what I have at home much more than I did and feel very grateful to live in America. So I would say that I felt like at this point in my life, it was a personal imperative for me to go abroad, and I'm glad that I did it. But I don't think it's an imperative for everyone and staying home would have been totally fine as well.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

I am privileged enough to have been able to eat out a good amount, and I did it for reasonable prices, but I also cooked with my friends plenty. Edinburgh is a city of students so it's pretty easy to get what you need for fair prices.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? about 70 dollars

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • the friends I made
  • the city of Edinburgh itself
  • being able to travel a lot
* What could be improved?
  • academic stimulation
  • better places to eat
  • general navigation of university system
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You must be outgoing and willing to make friends with new people. Otherwise you'll be stuck with Americans and/or your flatmates.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Visual Representations of the Holocaust and Religion
Course Department: Divinity
Instructor: H. Holtschneider
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The professor was hard as nails on grading, but the class was excellent. The other students were all Divinity undergraduate or masters students and were very engaged with the work. The topic was interesting and the layout provided for both informative lecture and stimulating in-class discussion. By far my most academically rewarding experience at Edinburgh.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

The Subject of Poetry: Marvell to Coleridge
Course Department: English Literature
Instructor: P. Fielding
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Seminar-style format, once a week we would discuss different poems. I didn't prepare that well to be honest, but I didn't think I really needed to. It was very boring, mind-numbingly useless, basically didn't capture my attention at all.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Critical Practice: Prose and Performance
Course Department: English Literature
Instructor: Various
Instruction Language: English
Comments: One assessment for each of these "half-credit" courses. Once a week huge lecture. Felt like high school. Part of the reason I'm thrilled I don't go to a big university. As a visiting student I had zero idea of the standards of assessment so that's also unsettling.
Credit Transfer Issues: