Arcadia University- University of Edinburgh

One of the best experiences I had abroad was the 'reading' week we got off in the middle of February. While most people I knew went to Portugal or Greece, a friend and I decided to fly to the arctic. In the northernmost part of Norway, we went on a midnight dogsled through the wilderness. That alone would have been an incredible experience. But as we returned to camp, I noticed a faint silver thread floating through the sky. I stopped. I let go. I sat into the snow as the darkness opened to greens and pinks drifting through the sky. Before, when I pictured the Northern Lights I always pictured an overwhelming magnificence that was, for some reason, loud. But out there, I was struck by the most beautiful silence. Pure and soft. Everything else disappeared.

Having never traveled overseas, I suffered some culture shock upon landing in Scotland. First, no one mentioned that Scotland is actually on the same latitude as Alaska, and so the sun makes a VERY short appearance during the winter days. This in combination with cloudy skies, rain, and a relentless wind, made my first few weeks in Scotland a tad miserable. In addition, coming from a small rural liberal arts school, I had to quickly adapt to big university life in a relatively small, but still urban environment. For me, studying abroad wasn't about falling in love with the place, but about pushing myself to try new things. Don't get me wrong--Scotland is absolutely one of the most beautiful countries in the world. In fact, I can't wait to go back to the Scottish highlands in the future. But, studying in Scotland taught me that I don't want to live in a city, that I don't want to live where the sun only shines for 5 hours during the winter, etc. Regardless, I'd still do it again.

I met some amazing people during my time abroad. And yes, the miserable weather and lack of sunlight was a huge talking point. But, what I liked most was that Edinburgh attracted people from all over the globe. I met so many people from Australia, I could travel around that continent just sleeping on friends' couches.

The academics are comparable with U.S. universities, but the workload is distributed differently. With three classes and only two assignments per class, I had to manage my time very efficiently to ensure that I got the work done and done well.

I encourage anyone interested to go to Edinburgh in the fall semester. You get better weather and plus you'll be there for the Christmas/New Years festival, which is world famous. While the program is longer in the spring, just be aware that spring break leads into the exam period, which together lasts 5 weeks. So, that's five weeks of just living in Scotland (after you've already been there for 4 months) which can get pretty boring if you have exhausted your financial resources.

I went to University of Edinburgh because it was one of 3 programs offered for my major so I did not know what to expect, but the University, city, and people more than exceeded my expectations. The Arcadia staff thinks of everything you could need like a historic Scotland and rail cards, which come in very handy. They are always available and provide awesome events to get to know students studying at other programs throughout Scotland. There is always so much to do and the city is so beautiful I never got tired of walking around exploring the sites.

This program was exactly what I was looking for in a study abroad experience. I loved that I was immediately integrated into the University and had the chance to live with other Scottish students and feel like a real student, rather than a tourist during my time abroad. It was easy to get involved on campus and in Edinburgh there is always something to do whether it's going to a festival or a market, grabbing drinks at the pub, or taking a stroll by some of the gorgeous parks and landmarks that are sprinkled throughout the city. In general, Edinburgh is an incredibly walkable city, but if you need to go a further distance, the bus system is easy to navigate. I also appreciated Arcadia's role in my time abroad. They provided a great support system and plenty of excursions around the country so that we could get our touristy fill from time to time. Overall, I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants a more independent study abroad experience in the context of an incredibly friendly and liveable city.