University of Vermont (UVM)

Coming from a big European City Burlington bars might be a little disappointing, there are a couple, but most of them look the same. No clubs or places to "dance", no good places for music/concerts (exception: Metronome on Main St. and Higher Ground in Winooski).Don´t get me wrong, you definitely can go out at night, but do not expect a great variety. As of what I have heard pretty good for American standards though, there are definitely many more much more boring places than Burlington!

I lived in Redstone Apartments, which were around USD 430 per month, which is normal for the Burlington area. The downstairs apartments are very small compared to the upstairs ones, and the walls are basically made of cardboard, you can hear your neigbours talking. Those apartments buildings are located close to the campus, so you can use the on campus bus, furniture is simple but ok, cleanliness depends on you and your roommates, but the building is not too old, so this is not the problem. Most of the international students live there.

I never had major problems talking English, but still I heard some nice new words (especially slang of course) and improved my vocabulary "in the field of instruction".

You can definitely have fun at UVM! Interact with other students, and you will enjoy it. The countryside is very beautiful, and it is very easy (because it is close) to go to Canada. Especially Montreal is worth a trip, if you feel trapped in Burlington, go there, it is only two hours away. (They speak French there, but it is no problems getting around with English, many American kids go up there to drink anyway.)

Books were really expensive, with a little bit of looking around you should be able to get good deals on anything, including cars, food, ... I spend quite a lot of money, definitely very very very much more than I would have spent at home, but this was what I had expected. I you go somewhere with only two suitcases means some expenses just to "get started". And at the start you have to figure everything out.