Semester to Remember Past Review
By Danielle Pantano (Florida Atlantic University) - abroad from 01/11/2016 to 05/05/2016 with
AIFS London - Richmond, The American International University in London
I learned how to be more carefree. I was a massive planner before going abroad. If being abroad teaches you anything, it's that you have to go with the flow sometimes. Things aren't always going to work out how you planned them, but sometimes the way they do work out is even better.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site administration really was the best. They made us feel at home from the second we walked through the door. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The housing for this program really is the best. Depending on where the majority of your courses are, you are housed in South Kensington or Richmond. South Kensington is in one of the wealthiest boroughs of London and you are within walking distance to almost all of the sights. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being housed in a local area really made me feel integrated into the local culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Unfortunately I did get ill while abroad. However, all of this was taken care of for. I was able to be seen by a doctor that day and pick up my prescription. |
| * Safety: |
Being in a residential area really made me feel safe. I never once felt in danger walking around my area. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
AIFS made my semester abroad all that it could have been. From the application process to actually being abroad, all the logistics were taken care of. |
Finances
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* 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) |
London is an expensive city. However, with an all-inclusive program like AIFS there really wasn't need to pay for much else other than personal activities, travel, and some food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save, save, save. Save as much as you can before your semester abroad. The more money you are willing to save the more you can travel and enjoy your time abroad. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I would have known to bring less with me when I went over. I accumulated so much stuff from traveling and my time in London that I wished I had brought less to begin with. |
