Glasgow: Bagpipes and the Highlands

This program really exceeded my expectations. I was most surprised by the amount of support I received from IFSA during my semester in Glasgow.

IFSA provided us a week-long orientation to familiarize us with the new country and also provided small reunion events, such as a Friendsgiving and afternoon tea time throughout the semester to make sure we were ok. My favorite part about my experience was the excursion to Highlands, provided by IFSA. We got to see the most beautiful parts of Scotland during this trip. IFSA also provided us a homestay, where I stayed on a farm in the countryside of Scotland. My host family provided us tons of tourist activities and taught us a lot about the culture.

In terms of academics, I was able to take economics courses that my home university did not provide, such as behavioral economics and contracts and governance. UofG also had bagpiping classes, and a variety of other cultural courses for the exchange students.

Overall, I think the IFSA program in Scotland is a great program for those who are more worried about going abroad for a semester. That was me initially; I was afraid I would be lonely and would not be able to adapt to a new country, but that was not the case. Both IFSA and the city of Glasgow were incredibly welcoming. I encourage to try this program if you are feeling the same way I did!