Edinburgh: History, expensive, solo August 21, 2025
By A student (Chemistry, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/08/2025 to 05/14/2025 with
University of Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I do feel I understand myself better. I feel way more comfortable traveling alone. Educationally not super helpful.
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 |
Very little support, had one direct meeting at the beginning of the semester. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Flat was fine, would have liked to be able to pick roommates. |
| * Food: |
No meal plan, cooked on my on. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Felt fairly isolated from Scottish students, most of my housing was fellow Americans (or Canadians) abroad. Near lots of cool Scottish history and nature though, |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Had no issues, but also no experiences. I had no contact with the NHS or Scottish healthcare systems. |
| * Safety: |
Always felt very safe in Edinburgh which was nice. Lots of young people, but not super clean. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I think I learned what I was specifically interested in fall of my Junior year, but had already applied and committed to Edinburgh which no longer really aligned with my interests. I also underestimated the expense and how difficult it would be to make friends and was just unused to large lecture style classes with almost no student support. |
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) |
Edinburgh was generally expensive; I think I generally under estimated the cost and only had 5000 dollars saved up for the whole experience which was not enough. I missed out on things I wanted to do, but was able to afford to live. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $250 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be aware the English pound makes things more expensive and you spend more socializing when all your friends don't go to Wellesley. |
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 |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had chosen a different program, and I think I underestimated how much I disliked not having the close knit community I have at Wellesley. There was just not support at all. |
