Program Abroad:
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Semester Abroad (SA): University of St. Andrews
Ask me about...
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Eastern Europe. Visiting Russia was one of my favorite experiences. I went as an American citizen without a visa and would be happy to explain the process. I traveled a lot around the former Soviet-dominated regions. I definitely recommend going to Macedonia and Estonia. I went on a great food and architecture tour of Prague that you should definitely do if you're there.
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Student Culture. St Andrews makes it really easy to fit into the school like a full-time student. There are a number of study abroad students, but most of my friends were full-time. There are a lot of clubs and teams, all of which you can join mid-year, and the university housing will put you with full-time students. Despite it being such a small town, there's a ton to do once you get involved with the student life. I can talk to you about clubs, teams, housing, and getting to the airport from St Andrews.
My Experience Abroad:
Contemporary British Fiction. I took this as an elective and I would definitely recommend it. We read a book a week, which sounded daunting at first but they ended up being fairly fun to read and perfect work while traveling. We met twice a week to discuss them. The authors were from around Britain, Ireland, and the Commonwealth. A lot of the books I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I learned a lot about contemporary life, history, politics, etc. in these countries in a format that felt more like entertainment than schoolwork.
Psychology Classes. The St Andrews topics were fairly unique and the assignments were more essay-based than those at Penn. My favorite was a course on prejudice that talked a lot about the Troubles in Ireland.
Academics Overall. St Andrews is a lot of fun, but not the place to go if you're looking for easy classes. The university was just ranked second in the UK and is more similar to Penn in terms of rigor than the typical study abroad options. However, you will take fewer classes and the work is more reading and writing focused then Penn, so it's still easy to travel during the weekends and even during the weeks.
Other Highlights:
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May Dip.
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Bonfires on the beach.
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Hanging out at the castle ruins at night.
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Golfing.
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Generally wandering around Europe.
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Taking a cruise through the Baltic Sea.
