Nottingham: an outstanding break from life's routines Past Review
By Greg B (Public Policy Analysis., The College of William and Mary) for
University of Nottingham: Nottingham - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My time studying abroad was very worth-while - it was a much needed break from the academic grind and routine social life at my home institution. If I could do it again for one semester, I would choose this program; however, if I were to study abroad for a year, I would probably not pick this program.
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 workload at my host institution was much different than what I am used to in the US. The majority of the work was at the end of the semester and I relied very heavily on research to complete the assignments. All of my papers were research papers and all of my exams were worth a 100% of my grade for the course and took place at the very end of the semester. I wouldn't say that the workload was necessarily lighter than at my home institution, it was just different. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program's main strength was that I was able to fully immerse myself in the host institution's culture and was able to independently take advantage of many opportunities without having to consult the host university's international office. The international office at my host university had to deal with many students and was quite slow as a result; however, I felt that if I had ever needed help with anything, I could have reached out to that office. I was fortunate in that I never had to utilize the host international office's services and thus have no necessarily positive or negative things to say about the host institution's administration of my exchange program. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a catered dorm on-campus with first-year students - the only option for those who do not want a home stay or to cook for themsleves. I enjoyed taking classes and partying with the local students, but at times I wished that I was not living with students that were often two years younger than me. |
| * Food: |
The food was worse than what I am used to at my home university in the US, but that was to be expected and it was a good alternative to cooking for myself so I cannot complain too much. I will say that the variety of the food offered and the quality of the food were pretty poor on a fairly regular basis however. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My host university is a much larger university than my home university in the US so there were a vast number of groups/teams/societies to join and countless opportunities to take adavntage of. The city/nightlife was also a ton of fun and is much different than what I am used to at my home institution. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I had no interaction with the health facilities at my home institution, but I am under the impression that if I had needed medical assistance, etc., that it would not have been a problem. As in any city-setting, one should be smart and do things in a group as opposed to by yourself. Generally speaking, I thought that the city/univeristy were very safe. The only thing to watch out for is taxi drivers because they try to take advantage of students, especially drunk students. |
| 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) |
|
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Social scene/life is expensive, as is food - depending upon the exchange rate. |
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
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
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? | Take advantage of every and all opportunities offered and fully immerse yourself in the Nottingham culture - it's a ton of fun! This particular program also allows you to learn a number of things while just having a good time. Students who are very self-confident, active, and have type-A personalities would be good for this program. |
