IFSA Butler

STUDENTS

FAMILIES

ALUMNI

FACULTY AND ADVISORS

Story Location: Scotland

  • Sideways Rain

    posted on

    Sideways Rain

    I’ve been dreaming about sideways rain.For those of you who are like me, California born and raised, you won’t necessarily understand the concept of rain that pelts you from the side in an icy cold shower as you walk from point A to point B.In my dream, I’m wearing four layers of clothes, a scarf,…

    Continue reading

  • A Night of Terror

    posted on

    A Night of Terror

    An amazing experience, discovering the world and new cultures, broadening your horizons; these are all expressions you hear when you go to study abroad. Before you leave, you are full of excitement and think of little else besides all the wonderful things that are to come. I was no different. For the first time in…

    Continue reading

  • Academics Abroad: It’s Not Better It’s Just Different

    posted on

    Academics Abroad: It’s Not Better It’s Just Different

    Nine hours of total class time throughout an entire week may seem like nothing in comparison to the American system where each class has roughly this amount each week.  During my time abroad at the University of Edinburgh, I had exactly that. Nine hours of a class per week. On top of that, all of my…

    Continue reading

  • Dealing with Family Loss While Abroad

    posted on

    Dealing with Family Loss While Abroad

    Going abroad is exciting and wonderful but can also be a little intimidating. Leading up to my departure to Edinburgh, I had all those conflicting feelings. I had asked all the necessary questions to students who had studied in Scotland and I felt confident in my abilities and ecstatic for the opportunity to live in…

    Continue reading

  • Maximizing Your Experience Abroad the Old-Fashioned Way

    posted on

    Maximizing Your Experience Abroad the Old-Fashioned Way

    The Honeymoon Phase From the first moment that I knew I would be studying abroad, I immediately decided that I wanted to write and maintain a travel blog and start a new Instagram page dedicated to documenting the highlights of my travels. I also wanted to start a food blog for all of my foodie…

    Continue reading

  • Music, Identity, and Belonging in Scotland

    posted on

    Music, Identity, and Belonging in Scotland

    Magic happens when a room of hundreds of people falls silent, in a collective motion of pulling the acoustic blanket around ourselves, tucking into a nighttime story together. Magic happens when you get goosebumps and an irresistible urge to move, to latch onto the music, from the first few notes of a fiddle, and you…

    Continue reading

  • Dancing Through Scotland

    posted on

    Dancing Through Scotland

    How Dance Taught Me Lessons I Used During and After My Semester Abroad My parents enrolled me in dance classes at the age of four and I’ve been dancing my way through life ever since.  Dance has been an integral part of my life from a young age and has given me many opportunities to…

    Continue reading

  • Feeling at Home Abroad

    posted on

    Feeling at Home Abroad

    Most weekends this semester, you’d find me in or around St Andrews, Scotland. Unlike many study abroad students, I have not been doing as much traveling this semester. Don’t get me wrong: I love traveling and I think it’s a great part of your study abroad experience. Due in part to my limited finances, however,…

    Continue reading

  • Edinburgh vs. Boston: 3 Differences

    posted on

    Edinburgh vs. Boston: 3 Differences

    Even before deciding to study abroad, I knew that the American university system is based off of the Scottish education structure. Some of the courses I signed up for, based on the syllabi, were even very similar to ones I had taken at Brandeis, my home university. And, of course, they speak English here. Knowing this,…

    Continue reading

  • How Not to Get a Prescription in Edinburgh

    posted on

    How Not to Get a Prescription in Edinburgh

    I have epilepsy. Luckily for me, it’s no big deal. I’ve had it all my life, but was only diagnosed when I was 16. After that, they quickly put me on an antiepileptic medication that controls it well – I’ve been seizure free since 2012.  In fact, if all goes well, I’ll even be off…

    Continue reading

Blog Categories