It was like being a freshman in college all over again Past Review

By Emily B (Marketing and PR, Drake University) for

AIFS London - Richmond, The American International University in London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was worthwhile, I wish I would have had a friend from home come along, but I met some really awesome people. I learned about a new culture and how life is lived in different countries. It was a refining process, like being a freshman in college all over again. I got to meet new people and be whoever I wanted to be and that was a great opportunity to embrace. I loved traveling and all the different weekend trips the school offered. GO!!!!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	2 weeks - 1 month
The term and year this program took place:	Spring 2010

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I was so unimpressed with two professors which made one of the classes really awful to take. It's hard to be put into a new environment where most of the students have been taught by one particular professor for two years already and know his or her style. Therefore when the Americans started a new class, that professor expected a certain foundation to already be there and it was unfair. Understandable, but it made things really hard. Luckily I only needed a C to get credit.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Dom was the main person in this area and he was quick to respond to each and every student and tried to hard to fix anything that wasn't working for someone's schedule or just personal problems. Also, Tom and Katherine were in student affairs and helped plan trips and made everyone feel absolutely comfortable and made trips to other countries very fun.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Two roommates, Ambassador dorms, bathrooms were single and then showers were in a different room. It was much different than the typical dorm room living situation but it worked out okay. We found out our roommates right when we got there and I felt super safe. RAs were always helpful! <br /><br /> Close to the tube and many buses are available. Great rooms, but also quite old (heard they are renovating mine).
* Food:	Definitely not like American food, but it was okay. Decent amount of variety but if you don't want to the food there are plenty of other places around!
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Oh my gosh there were so many awesome things to do! London Eye, museums galore, shopping at Piccadilly Circus, boat tours, etc. You cannot and will not run out of things to do.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The tube was the only place I felt uncomfortable because you can't predict how some people are going to act or who will be on your train. Don't travel alone and just be smart!
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget? (1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Food for lunch. No idea I had to pay for lunches, but I was the only dorm room with a fridge which made lunches cheaper by shopping at grocery stores. Traveling is more expensive than I predicted.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Go into this trip with a very flexible attitude. People are all different and want to experience different things and sometimes you have to go along with it. Also, doing things alone are okay!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Retail and Distribution Management
Course Department:	Marketing
Instructor:	Nicola Caramia
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was the course that made me most frustrated. IT's the course I gave the most time and effort to and he never explained our grades on the exams or the final project, we just ended up with a grade. Most American students failed the class, luckily I passed. He was very hardcore which can be good, but in this case it made the class way too hard for an average study abroad student. This is not just my opinion.
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	History of London
Course Department:	History
Instructor:	David Tucker
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Best class ever. We traveled once a week to a new place in London and this professor knows literally everything about London. It was so fun and he made it lighthearted because he understood that most of us wanted to travel and have as much fun as possible while abroad. Completely different than the previous professor mentioned
Credit Transfer Issues:	None. But, make sure you are 100% sure classes will transfer, you don't want to pay for a class that has no credit!