Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great experience August 16, 2024

By (Biochemistry, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/15/2024 to 05/31/2024 with

University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to be more independent, how to organize trips, and study more independently without the help of coursework.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The two courses that were related to my major were pretty rigorous in terms of the amount of material taught. I had to do a lot more studying without the help of homework/assignments in order to keep up with the material. Not having as much coursework made it seem like I had more free time, but I had to do a lot of studying leading up to exams.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Had some orientation activities and assigned advisor who would reach out from time to time.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Apartment style dorms, no meal plan (you can choose whether to get meal plan or not). I had nice and clean roommates, which made my housing experience good. Fridge and toilet kinda broke but there were other toilets and fridge was eventually fixed. Had some mice in the walls but that was because of other dorms in the building being messy.

* Food:

I cooked my own food. I was pretty close to several grocery stores so cooking for myself wasn’t too difficult. Also since you only take 3 classes, you have a lot more free time that you can use to cook.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I didn’t make a lot of friends with full time students at the uni, made more friends with other study abroad students (I also had many fellow Wellesley friends who also came to UoE with me, so I tended to branch out less). Joined the dance org KAJA where I made a lot of new friends (highly recommend joining a society!)

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn’t have any major health issues, no prevalent health issues.

* Safety:

Edinburgh felt very safe, even at night. There were some people under the influence near my dorm sometimes, but they never came up to me or made me feel unsafe.

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

Enjoyed the free time due to only having 3 classes, got to explore Europe along with Scotland. I had a good support system since I had friends from Wellesley who also came, which helped me with getting adjusted and traveling.

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)

Since I cooked for myself most of the time, didn’t spend too much on food.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? £20-30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a young Scot’s card!! Saves money on transportation (free bus and some trains I think). TooGoodToGo app is good for getting cheap groceries/food.

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
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Freedom
  • Independence
  • Nice people
* What could be improved?
  • Support
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how much the rain would affect my mood…it does rain a lot but I thought I would get used to it quicker. But it does make you appreciate sunny days more!

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!