Semester to Remember Past Review
By A student (Florida Atlantic University) - abroad from 01/11/2016 to 05/05/2016 with
AIFS London - Richmond, The American International University in London
I gained friends for a lifetime and an international perspective. Every minute of it was worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The instructors were great and the material taught was interesting and challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program administration Anderson was like a mother to me and my group of friends. She made the experience all that it could have been and more. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was housed right in the heart of South Kensington in close proximity to two major tube stations, Kensington Gardens, and loads of shops and restaurants. |
| * Food: |
The food wasn't amazing, but it was good for the price we paid. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being in classes with locals and study abroad students made the integration process so much easier. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I unfortunately got sick while I was abroad, but getting into a doctor and getting medication was very simple. I even got my refund for the payments I had to make in a timely manner. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
AIFS was the greatest program provider. They made everything easy with their all-inclusive options. |
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 very expensive. My advice would be to bring as much money as you can. Save, save, save before you go. I was able to not worry too much about what I was spending as I saved a large amount of money before going abroad. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save save save as much as you can before you go. Create a spreadsheet on what you can afford, but make sure you enjoy your time abroad. A lot of the experience will involve some money spending. If you can't afford to spend some money while you are abroad, I would maybe wait a semester or two until you've saved more. |
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? | To pack lighter! |
