Cymru am byth. Wales forever. Past Review
By Sarah H (Early Childhood Education, Presbyterian College) - abroad from 01/22/2014 to 05/23/2014 with
University of Wales - Trinity Saint David: Carmarthen - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
The rolling green hills, the rain, the white sheep, the cuppa tea, the castles, the beautiful Welsh singers, the friendly people, and the simplistic beauty of Wales are all reasons why I now call Wales 'home'. I learned so much, not only about myself, but about the world and people around me. I discovered that I was capable of so much more. I discovered that there is a world out there greater than myself. I discovered that the world is indeed smaller than it appears. And I discovered myself. Cymru am byth!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I wouldn't say that my courses were intensive, rather I enjoyed this semester seemingly stress free. However, I was taking two third-year classes, which meant that my peers had studied the Welsh education system for the past two years. Therefore, in order to catch up with them and submit well-rounded essays, I had to spend a lot of personal time educating myself. I only felt the stress of the academic rigor when completing essays and presentations. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The international officers and advisors quickly became our friends and confidants. They were very helpful and had a genuine interest in everyone's experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Aside from a few maintenance problems, the housing was very nice and provided us with everything we need. The Accommodations office was also very helpful whenever I had any questions. |
| * Food: |
The food was like any college campus cafeteria. However, we were only served meals on weekdays and only breakfast and dinner. This meant that we were on our own for lunch and weekends. This was not a hard thing to overcome, but it would have made things a lot more easy on the international students. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I absolutely loved the local culture! I felt right at home and welcomed in to the culture. I enjoyed observing Wales from the point of view of a tourist, as well as a local. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
At the beginning of the term, I became very sick with a combination of allergies and germs from the people around me. I quickly got in contact with on of the international officers who scheduled an appointment for me. The healthcare was easily accessible and very friendly toward international students. I discovered that they have appointments reserved daily for international students incase of an emergency, etc. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Carmarthen. I took many trains out of the city, which required me to walk to the train station. I never walked alone in the dark, and if I happened to return after dark, there was a great taxi service that would take me back to campus. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Living on a student's budget was not hard. However, that is just living. I wanted to travel and see things, which meant that I needed more money. I left over-prepared and purposely over-estimated, which was good because I was always prepared and never exceeded my student budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Approx. 20-30 British Pounds |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shopping at the local PoundLand store helped save me a lot of money. It is the equivalent of America's Dollar Tree. I could get the same things I needed in the supermarket, but only for 1 pound. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 10+ |
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? | I wish I had known that I was going to be taking third-year classes. I wish that I had decided to study abroad for a full year! |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
