Hamline in York: Awesomely Different, but Strangely Familiar Past Review
By Dylan A (Political Science/History, Hamline University) for
University of York: Heslington - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
My experience was worthwhile because I discovered what I am capable of doing on my own. I came back and felt much more adult having had done something on my own without the financial support or help of my parents. I now know feel that I could plan a trip most anywhere and not be overwhelmed with travel anxieties. I am comfortable now with being a little uncomfortable and embrace a little adversity when it presents itself. I feel like if the right opportunity arose, I would be able to live in a country other than America without feeling isolated and alone.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The style of learning was a lot like an independent study. Compared to Hamline University, there was a lot less time spent in an actual classroom. The literature provided was always listed as suggested readings and no specific reading assignments were given. Therefor, it left a lot more decisions to be made by the actual student as to what, when, and how they would study for the once a week class. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program director was a grad student at the University of York and mostly dealt with the Hamline students who were performing internships in York. He had set up all the internships and I feel like because I wasn't performing an internship, I wasn't quite as much of a priority. Fortunately, I never felt a real need for his help, but had I needed more help, I don't neccessarily feel I would have been satisfied. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing at York seemed quite old and the facilities wouldn't have been acceptable at my home university, and I don't consider my home university to have any sort of superb standard of maintenance of its facilities. The bathrooms, showers, and kitchens at York were kind of disgusting. They were cleaned once a week and if one of the residents of the hall made a huge mess, they weren't held accountible by any sort of authority. As a result, the kitchens had piles of dirty dishes and there was rotting food left out. |
| * Food: |
I mostly cooked my own meals, so to complain would do no good. However, the grocery stores in England weren't quite what I am used to in America. I felt that the overall quality of some of the foods I ate were below that of America's options in grocery stores. Also, because the kitchens were so gross, I was not enthused about cooking my meals in them. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My favorite experiences were going out into rural England and experiencing the smaller coastal villages. Rural locations seems to integrate more slowly into a universal pop culture so I felt like some of the smaller towns I went to had a unique identity and culture that was different from the larger cities in England. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe knowing that if I needed medical attention, the NHS would be able to help me out without discrimination. The national healthcare system felt a lot less restrictive. I think I was actually more comfortable with seeking medical treatment in England than I am in my home country. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I would say that I probably spent $150 per week. It is tough to remember, but I do know that I spent a lot. But I paid for experiences. I traveled a lot, I went out a lot, I did a lot of tourist type things, and all of those things cost money. However, it made sense for me to do those things while I was there because chances are, I won't have that same opportunity again. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are going to study abroad, you should not try convince yourself that you can stick to a modest budget. You will put yourself in a unstable situation. You should fully expect to spend quite a lot of money. I would say that you should plan a budget and then take with you 15% more of what you expect to pay. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Same language spoken. |
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
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It is a great programme if you are not quite sureabout your ability to adjust to a foreign country. There is a lot of support networks for you, and you'll definitely have the opportunity to go out and experience unique things. However, there will be a lot of people like you from Hamline going too, and it will be tempting to just hang out with them because they are familiar and easier to approach. Its a good introductory programme for someone who has little experience abroad but would like to see if they're cut out for my independent travels. |
