Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great place to live, terrible place to go to school. Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/10/2018 to 12/21/2018 with

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about living in a city and dealing with other cultures. I also learned a lot about failure and how different school systems can be in different countries.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Classes are very different there. The teachers have no interest in individual learning, but rather seem to teach as an afterthought without actually explaining anything.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

International students were given next to no guidance.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Housing wasn't bad, but being placed in a hallway/building full of freshmen was not ideal.

* Food:

Dining hall food was better than Middlebury's.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Local culture was not drastically different from that of the US.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/a. had no experience with healthcare.

* Safety:

very safe and comfortable.

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

I would take different classes.

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)

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? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The city
* What could be improved?
  • Style of learning and warning about said style
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How different classes were and how to best prepare for them. Also not to under any circumstances take STEM classes.

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Scottish Studies 1A: Conceptualizing Scotland
Course Department: Scottish Studies
Instructor: Gary Johnson
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was a pretty pointless class. It was easy and some parts were enjoyable, but really didn't add much to my experience.
Credit Transfer Issues: see other reviews.
Course Name/Rating:

Informatics 2A: Processing Formal and Natural Languages
Course Department: Informatics
Instructor: Mary Cryan and Shay Cohen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was beyond challenging. No field trips. Assessment was 2 projects worth 25% of the grade and a final exam worth 75%. Teachers were knowledgable but clearly unprepared for lectures and did not seem to care much about teaching. The class was around 200 kids so I would say I participated significantly less.
Credit Transfer Issues: Considering our home institution makes us fill out this survey BEFORE they will accept any transcripts, it is impossible for me to answer this question.
Course Name/Rating:

Database Systems
Course Department: Informatics
Instructor: Paolo Paguiliao
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Challenging. Good teacher. 25% coursework 75% final exam. Very tough course material but lectures were decent. Still zero outside help.
Credit Transfer Issues: Again, I have no idea.