55 reviews
4.30 / 5 based on 55 reviews
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Lucia H
Student life
Describe host city:
Student life dominates the city
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Travel, Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
Too many to list but I'll try- Del Playa for student house parties, Java Jones for late night coffee, State street for affordable meals and lovely atmosphere. Didn't experience the bar scene as I was not 21.
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Lucia H
Housing
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
This was a cheaper option and I would have been surrounded by students closer to my own age (rather than Freshmen)
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Personal comments
The university dorms excelled at creating a student community environment. However, the dorms are too cramped and too expensive.
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Lucia H
Overall
I wish I had known...
I strongly believe that my year abroad will remain one of the highlights of my life. It should be compulsory to everyone studying a degree at every university.
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In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
The University of Santa Barbara is a fantastic school, both academically and socially. What's more, most students seemed to balance these two aspects admirably. The fact that it is one of the most stunning parts of the world was a bonus!
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
If you are lucky enough to go to this university on exchange, be sure to make the most of all it has to offer- varied courses, a massive social scene,incredible sporting facilities, and a great interaction between international and American students.
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Lucia H
Academic
Course recommendations
A lot of the courses I took were seminars but were really far too big to foster discussion amongst students. There was not enough interaction and thoughtful discussion as you would find in smaller tutorials.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
The ten week term meant mid-terms were sometimes conducted only a few weeks into a course which seems pointless in discovering how the student is understanding the course.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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Lucia H
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
spoke language (English) spoken at home university and host university
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Lucia H
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Personal savings
Other sources of funding:
Government assistance
Work opportunities:
I didn't want/need to work
Personal spending habits
I lived at home before going on exchange so had minimal expenses in that regard. Also, as I was saving for many years before going on exchange I was on a tight budget and did not spend much on travel, nightlife, etc.
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Nightlife, Overall, Food, Housing, Travel, Telephone:
was more expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
Personal comments
the dorms are far more expensive than private or student owned apartments. I would recommend these options over dorms.
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