ISA Study Abroad in Stirling, Scotland

I (uncharacteristically) did not put a lot of forethought into my decision to study abroad at Stirling University, but on that random late December night it just felt like applying for this program was what I needed to do. And—as it turned out— I really did need this experience. Everything from my incredible new friends, the field trip to see Pictish cave carvings, and the flexibility of the program that allowed me to be able to join in on folk music open sessions in pubs all around the country was exactly what I needed in my life, and I will be talking about those memories for the rest of my life.

I absolutely LOVED Scotland. Stirling is amazing in that, its not a huge city but its big enough. If you want the big city, Edinburgh and Glasgow are less than a hour away. There is a pub down the street from the university and downtown Stirling has a busy nightlife on the weekends. The highlands are the real secret of Scotland, it is just breathe taking.

University of Stirling is beautiful, it has a loch on campus where students can learn how to canoe. There is a golf course, a castle, and the William Wallace monument is just across the street. Stirling is filled with Scottish history, and all the classes taught during ISS incorporate it into the curriculum which just makes everything much more interesting. The academic standards are higher in Europe, so the classes are tougher, but your grades get inflated when they transfer over. All the Scottish teachers are amazing story tellers, and Scottish history is definitely nothing to skimp on.

The staff encourages trying new things and helping students plan trips in and around Scotland and trips to different countries on the weekends. Every Wednesday, the staff would come by our dorms with a new Scottish treat for us to try. They weren't all good, but it was worth trying!

The living situations were really nice. We all had our own bedrooms with a shared bathroom/kitchen between 4 people. Scotland is expensive, but if you plan right and try not to eat out too much, you should be fine. I traveled to Spain one weekend during the soccer world cup, and it was amazing! After my time in Scotland, I took another month to explore Ireland and Greece. Being in Europe is really amazing because there is just so much culture around you, and its so easy to book a weekend trip to so many countries!

I would, will, and have recommended the EuroLearn Stirling program to anyone who asks me about advice for studying abroad.

The people who I interacted with from both EuroLearn and from Stirling's International dept were kind, helpful, personal and attentive.

Stirling was a fun and welcoming campus, and provided the perfect location for travelling both in my host country (by train) and to other countries (by train or plane, with two airports within an hour of the uni.)

The program included an excellent orientation in England, where I met with other EuroLearn students and got to experience another culture close to my host country without the hassle of planning the trip--it was all organized by EuroLearn and beautifully carried out.

A lot of studying abroad involves problems, mixed schedules, or just general mishaps. EuroLearn was always a comfort during these times and never a burden, and, in my opinion, continues to be the perfect example of what studying abroad should be.