<p>I'm planning to study abroad somewhere in the UK my fall semester of Junior year, but I'm unsure of where to go. The programs my school offers and I'm interested in are UCL, St. Andrews, and Trinity College.</p>
<p>I've heard good things about all three colleges, but to be perfectly honest my biggest concern now is just finding out which one is the easiest college. I know that all three are good universities and challenging, but I want to study abroad for the experience of living in another country and not be obsessed with keeping my GPA from dropping. </p>
<p>background info: I'm an English major at Emory University, have ~3.8 GPA. </p>
<p>London is an absolutely amazing city, and it’s very easy to get around the UK and to Europe from London. The public transportation in London is fantastic, and there is an incredible amount of stuff to see, much of it free or quite cheap.</p>
<p>As a bonus, it’s stronger than the other two in English.</p>
<p>St Andrews is nice, I suppose, but if I were headed to Scotland, I’d much rather be in Edinburgh.</p>
<p>Nobody can tell you how they compare without having studied at all three. I doubt very much whether there is any noticeable difference between them with regard to rigour anyway. (Btw do you mean Trinity College, Cambridge or Oxford?)</p>
<p>If you’re studying abroad for the experience then don’t go to St Andrews. It’s in the middle of nowhere. I’d pick UCL. It’s in the centre of London, one of the worlds most exciting cities as well as providing the perfect base for exploring the UK and Europe on its excellent transport system.</p>
<p>St Andrews is a very small town, whereas Trinity College and UCL are both in large cities. However, St Andrews is only an hour or so bus ride from Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and you can get all over Europe from Edinburgh.</p>
<p>UCL was the first UK university to teach English Literature (and to admit women), so the department will be pretty good.</p>
<p>And don’t worry about UCL being in a city of 7.5 million people. It’s in a really pleasant area (bloomsbury) with lots of small parks, gardens, theaters and cafes. And it’s right next to the British Museum and loads of transport links. Google-Street-View it.</p>
<p>I can only talk about St. Andrews in terms of schools as I’m studying abroad there for the year right now, but here goes.</p>
<p>First and foremost, I wouldn’t not go to St. Andrews just because its in a small town, about 18,000 including students. Its really quaint, nice scenery, plenty of golf, lots of bars, and your right on the water. Yes, Edinburgh would be a nice place to study if your looking for a city atmosphere, but since it doesn’t seem to be an option, I wouldn’t worry about it. Buses run to and from Edinburgh just about every hour and they have student discounts, so getting to the city and airport is no problem.</p>
<p>In terms of the course load at St. Andrews, most social science/ English/ history majors take two classes per semester as juniors and seniors. I took two courses - one that met once a week for two hours, and the other that met one day for an hour and two hours the next. It was a total of 5 class hours a week and since my classes fell on the same day, I had a five day weekend. In terms of assignments I had a few 3000 word essays and a final in both classes and that was about it. Your life won’t be much fun during the weeks you have to write essays, but the other 10 will be a blast. I don’t know how that compares to the other schools. Organize your classes in the middle of the week and you’ll have plenty of time to travel and explore on the weekends. Work hard the weeks you have an essay due and play hard the weeks you don’t. </p>
<p>I write a blog about my time here at St. Andrews, [Study</a> Abroad Blog](<a href=“The Study Abroad Blog - Nate Nault”>http://thestudyabroadblog.com/) , feel free to check it out, and if you want more info, you can send me a message on my contact page.</p>
<p>London totally kicked my butt financially! Rich I am not, but London gave me a better appreciation for people in the US who can’t even afford to go to restaurants to often because they don’t have the money! When I got to London I quickly lost my “restaurant rights.” </p>
<p>Pasta, butter, and salt…a great meal to have over and over while you’re in London! :)</p>
<p>London was the most expensive place I have ever been!</p>