Not perfect or what I expcted but fun, eye opening, and totally worth it! Past Review
By A student (political science, University of Connecticut) - abroad from 01/28/2015 to 06/15/2015 with
University of Nottingham: Nottingham - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Definitely learned a lot, learned more about what I like and want, and grew from being in an independent program/ dealing with crazy situations. The month long break was an awesome time for travel but that combined with the pound in the UK was expensive! Would probably go somewhere else if I could choose again but loved the campus and the people are great for the most part. Least demanding schedule I've ever had and the nightlife was pretty decent/constant. Hate the exam period and the way some things are run here but otherwise it was a great break from the reality of home and an overall great experience that was totally worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes are similar to in the US and have good content as far as I could tell. However, you do nothing all semester and your entire grade rests on one essay or test at the very end. Exposure to a different type of learning but didn't have a lot of guidance/ don't prefer it. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There was little to no organization here. I'm not even sure who I could go to if I had any study abroad student type questions. People were friendly but we were left to our own defenses. The way the program was set up, all second semester study abroad students missed the first week of classes if not more. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a dorm on the main campus. Had my own room that was really nice and spacious and got cleaned every two weeks. Dorms are fairly nice and you get to meet a lot of English students because each hall is it's own community. |
| * Food: |
If you live in a hall you eat at your hall's dining room. Meals are only served for short times each day, you can take limited portions, and its of fairly poor quality/unhealthy. For lunch you get an allowance and can spend it at other places which are better. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This program is extremely independent. Its up to you to make friends, go on/plan any trips, get involved with anything on campus. There is no one checking up on you so you have to choose to discover things on your own or stay and watch netflix. The town is pretty cool but not very large and you can soon run out of things to do without traveling. It is nice though that it's decently easy to meet a lot of local students.Night life is also pretty decent. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No vaccines were required and UConn set me up with simple international health care insurance. |
| * Safety: |
Apparently Nottingham is NOT safe according to actual facts. However, I never once felt unsafe on campus or in town. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* 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) |
Br prepared for high costs in the UK. When living on campus I only spent money on laundry, a little transportation to the city, etc. Going out is really expensive and I didn't buy much food. Traveling through Europe was much cheaper. There is a whole month break thought were you have to travel and support everything you need. This will cost at least $2,000 at minimum. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably over $50. (any food, going out, transportation, phone data plan, etc.) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get an international student credit card and watch out for transaction/ currency fees. If taking cheap flights, only bring carry on bags so you don't get charged. |
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? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Currency difference can make a huge difference in how much you spend. Keep on eye on your phone/passport/etc like your life depends on it. Figure out the best options for finances/phone plans BEFORE you leave. Look up teaching styles, etc. before you choose a location. |
