Brighton: beach, bars, and big fun. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The required British Culture class was not very well organized. We had many different lectureres who obviously did not communicate with each other and because of this, lectures were often redundant. I found the electives that I selected to be an ideal intensity considering my situation and quite enjoyed my professors for them. The other students often did not seem to take school as seriously as I would have expected, which sometimes decreased the academic rigor.

On-site administration of your program

Mary and Becca were amazingly friendly and welcomed us graciously into the UK. The only negative comment that I have is the fact that they were occasionally too laid back about various processes. Many students were very worried about the beginning of the semester that they wouldn't end up with classes that transferred back home. Also, there were a handful of details at the beginning that were not made entirely clear to us. This may have been a USAC problem rather than something that our advisers had control of, however.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It was fabulous not having to share a bathroom, however, less fabulous having to share a kitchen with seven other people. It wasn't too bad though, just took some getting used to. On one hand, it was really nice living with all of the other study aborad students. We got the chance to all get really close and make some lasting friendships. One the other hand, I was very disappointed when I found out that I would not be placed in a flat with English students. I had been excited about the chance to integrate myself fully into the culture of the UK, and it was a bummer that day to day living couldn't be a part of that.

I almost always just ate food that I purchased and prepared for myself, so it was as good as I felt the motivation to make it. Cafes on campus were okay, but the coffee was generally terrible.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Through classes and frequent visits downtown, I eventually felt quite integrated into the community. Brighton is a very welcoming place, and every type of person can find a place within it. By about halfway through the semester, I had made a few English friends, which really enhanced my experienced and heightened my feelings of being part of the local culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never personally had any health issues, but I had a couple of friends who had various medical concerns, and never heard of them having any trouble getting them resolved.

I never felt frightened or like I was in danger at any time when I was in Brighton. The city is safe and everyone is young and friendly. Because of this, I think that some of my peers mistakenly took at feeling of safety with them when they visited other countries and ended up having things stolen. I would recommend always being vigilant, even in Brighton where there were no issues, because when travelling, safety is not only a precaution, it is necessary.

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

I was without a doubt the student in my USAC program that has the least amount of money. This wasn't the most fantastic position to be in because we would often go shopping and I wouldn't be able to buy anything and I would often have to reject invites to go out to dinner with friends. England was more expensive than I anticipated, especially with additional expenses that I hadn't considered, like transportation.

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• Dorm

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• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Location
• Elective classes
• Local and Americans friends I made

• Integration into English culture
• Organization of class schedules

The Outright Urbanite