IFSA: University of Edinburgh Partnership

In the Fall of 2019, I spent a magical 4 months just a mile from Edinburgh's famous royal mile. Before stepping on the plane from JFK to Edinburgh airport, I had no idea that this study abroad experience would completely change my life. The whole entire way I was supported by IFSA's incredible staff in both the states and while in Scotland. IFSA helped me find the perfect housing just minutes from the University of Edinburgh, as well as to the heart of Edinburgh. The staff of IFSA in Scotland scheduled several meetings throughout my time to make sure that I was keeping up with my studies and enjoying my time abroad. I would absolutely recommend this program to ANY student. The academics at the UoE are rigorous and one can find almost any course to fit within their home school course requirements. OR if you have the time you can always take a course in the bagpipes!

Studying in Edinburgh with IFSA was the best decision I've ever made. I absolutely loved living in this beautiful city - every single street looks like it came straight out of a storybook. I woke up every morning simply happy that I chose to study in such a unique and amazing place.

Not only was Edinburgh incredible, but I also loved living in Scotland as a whole. Some of my favorite memories was listening to live Celtic music in pubs and learning how to Ceilidh dance with amazing friends that I had met!

One of the best parts of studying abroad with IFSA was how well organized it was and the trips included in the program. IFSA gave us the perfect amount of assistance. There was never a moment when I was unsure what was going on, and even if there was, I knew the IFSA staff was there to answer any questions I had. As for the trips, we went on three weekend adventures - to the Argyll Forest where we kayaked and rock scrambled, on a homestay weekend where we stayed with a Scottish host family, and lastly, to the Isle of Skye where we hiked to the Old Man of Storr.

I really hope to go back to Edinburgh one day - truly became my home away from home! I would choose this program all over again in a heartbeat!

During my time in Edinburgh, I thought I would just get to socialize with Scottish locals, but I was surrounded by so much more. The University of Edinburgh is a much more global school than I realized, and I found friends in people from New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, Spain, and many more countries. My favorite part was getting to speak to these people and learn more about their countries and culture, and even their views on various social topics. It was even more exciting since Scotland was new for many of them as well, so we were all in the same boat of visiting and living in an entirely new country. I was even able to travel with some of them, and we were all equally thrilled to explore the country together. Traveling both in and out of Edinburgh was such a riveting experience - learning about other people and other societies is ten times as much fun when you're immersed in it, and 20x more fun with new friends. You'll be surrounded by history, fun photo spots, and something new to try everywhere you go.

This program was unique because it had a perfect balance. I felt as thought I were given all the tools to succeed, yet I also was able to learn and make mistakes and gain actual confidence and not a fabricated version of it. I had all the resources to go boldly and explore everywhere I've always wanted to go, but still know that I had a program that would have my back. They were also really focused on goals, community involvement, and professional development. It was also easy to travel anywhere in the world from Edinburgh. Edinburgh, as far as the UK is concerned, is also far less expensive. This city is walkable, and the country of Scotland as a whole has so much to explore from Glasgow, to Saint Andrews, to Loch Lomond, to the Isle of Skye to Loch Ness. IFSA will also take you there as a part of the program, which is incredible seeing as how you would have to rent a car in order to get to some of these more nature oriented places in the highlands. Those trips with my program were some of the most amazing experiences. I recommend this program to everyone.

The staff were the best program coordinators of any program I have ever completed in my entire life. They were friendly, helpful, and very personable. There were multiple excursion led by the IFSA program built into the cost of the program, and they were super well-planned and enjoyable. I had plenty of time to travel Europe and explore so many different places and cultures while also enjoying my host country and school. I could not have asked for a more perfect program in every way.

Studying abroad at the University of Edinburgh was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It is a world class university with amazing lecturers and a challenging courseload. I met my lifelong friends on my program and I’m planning on visiting them across the country this summer. The on site support was amazing, especially since I was dealing with some unexpected health problems while abroad. I changed so much while abroad and my academic understanding improved immensely. One of my favorite memories was going to a parliament session and getting to hear the First Minister speak. As someone studying International Relations and Political Science, this was an amazing experience for me. I am so glad I joined a bunch of societies that gave me this opportunity because it made my experience even more amazing. Additionally, I was able to travel all over Europe with my close friends. Overall, I wouldn’t change my experience for the world and I’m planning on returning to the University of Edinburgh for graduate school.

I feel like I made a home for myself in Edinburgh, one that still means so much to me more Han a year later. I will forever be grateful for the lovely group of women at IFSA that made that possible and for all the lovely students and members of Edinburgh’s community that did the same. This is the best city I’ve ever lived in or visited and it will always be home to me. Could not recommend the city, UoE, and IFSA more!

Edinburgh is a very cool city. From the more touristy things like the Royal Mile and the Castle, to the unique places that each person finds for themselves, I really enjoyed Edinburgh the city. The University was alright, although it was tough to get into good classes as an exchange student. I did enjoy the variety of clubs and sports available through the University. I can't say much about the programs support system, as, no matter what happens to me, I am unfortunately adverse to using such things. However, my interactions with the staff at IFSA-Butler were always pleasant. The housing was the area I feel could use the most improvement. My housing situation was a bit dodgy, nothing I couldn't handle, but I would have preferred to live with other exchange students, rather than with freshmen.