Challenging but Totally worth it!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors in my sports studies classes were very knowledgable about the content, but i felt as if it was a little unorganized at times. Overall i learned alot though, and the teachers were pretty good at reaponding when i needed help.

On-site administration of your program

We did not get any instruction from our abroad advisers after the first few weeks that we were there, but the first two weeks helped me to understand how the school system worked. One problem that i saw with the intro sessions is that they were scheduled during classes after the semester started so i only had an opportunity to go to the sessions offered durin break times.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I got to know other international students better becuase i lived in a flat with 5 other internationals (french, german, austrian, irish, and american), but it was sometimes hard to connect with anyone else living off campus in union street accommodation. I was hoping i would meet more scottish students, but i was barely on campus except for classes because i had to pay for the bus or walk 45 minutes to campus. If i were to do it over i would live on campus, but i enjoyed getting to know my flatmates and had easy access to groceries and shops. Also, if i were on campus i would have been more involved with the school, but because i was off i got more involved with a church which was a good experience :)

The food was alright, but i was cooking for myself most days in scotland and i was not the best cook at the beginning. I did learn more towards the end of the trip, but one thing that kept me from eating better is the price of groceries when converted to american dollars. After a while i learned that i had to just buy what i wanted and stop worrying about the conversion rate.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I didn't feel very integrated into scottish culture through the school because accomodation made it a little bit difficult, but i was very integrated through my church. I did feel integrated into a multicultural environment with all the internationals in my flat. It was a positive experience to talk to my flatmates about where they came from and how our background cultures were different and similar in some ways.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any problems with healthcare, but some of my friends did and they recieved help from the on-campus clinic and a hospital located further away.

I thought it was pretty safe when i first got there, but compared to my hometown it seemed to be more unsafe. My accomodation was school accommodation so it was safe, but the areas around it seemed to have a higher crime rate. There was a forensic team within 100 yards of my flat twice during the semester which didn't give me the safest sense of security, but i never had any problems.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Groceries were pretty expensive. Personal supplies were expensive, and transport seemed pretty expensive but i cut down a little on expenses by walking an buying bus passes

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The Avid Adventurer