A Semester to Remember! Past Review
By Kaitlyn Y (Communication and Media Studies, George Mason University) - abroad from 08/25/2015 to 12/15/2015 with
Anglo Educational Services: London - Birkbeck London Semester Programme
Studying abroad for me has always been a dream of mine and enhances my love of travel and intercultural relationships. This experience particularly helped me better understand myself and what I want to do after graduating. I would say hands down this program was the best collegiate decision I've ever made.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were a little more difficult than I anticipated but for the most part were manageable. I certainly learned a lot about London, the history of British culture, and the current events of UK and EU politics. I appreciated the British theme of courses as they helped connect my personal experiences to a larger cultural understanding which enhanced my semester's outcomes. A lot of study abroad programs do not focus heavily on academics, but this one ensures that the semester is full of learning and in the end will be extremely beneficial to resume-building, college experience, and cultural and world understanding. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Anglo really made my experience in London one to remember. The staff at Anglo really do care about us students and interns and were incredibly helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. They made sure our needs were met and our concerns were heard and were the best resource for education needs, international and UK travel questions, and general London questions; if they didn't have the answer immediately, they got back within the next two days. Could not have asked for a better on-site group of people. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was really impressed and grateful for the living arrangements provided by Anglo. Our flat was centrally located in zone 1 and was of decent size. We were lucky enough to have a cleaning service once a week which we were all very thankful for. Whenever we had an issue, either Anglo or maintenance would assist quickly and effectively! |
| * Food: |
The food at pubs and restaurants was actually really good! The food from grocery stores -- not so much. Personally I think it was the drastically lower sodium levels in the food. Overall though, the food wasn't as bad as the "British food" stereotype would have you believe. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had any health issues nor required any medical attention while abroad but felt that I would have the necessary assistance should I needed it. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt that my safety was ever under any real threat. I felt very safe throughout the day and night both alone and in groups. While I would still recommend practicing safety and awareness, especially at night, I did not feel like it was a dangerous city or environment. (But be mindful of pickpockets anywhere in the city!) |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
If you have excellent control over your finances, you can live off of $100 a week, but be aware that you will most likely want to splurge on more things than you thought you would. I would recommend $150/wk on average, not including trips or other extra expenses. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you spend your money wisely and are aware of the conversion rate then you won't break the bank after one semester. Either mentally convert your bank account into local currency and know you have x GBP to spend over x amount of weeks then it doesn't seem as scary. Alternatively you can find easy mental math conversions to compare GBP to USD ($1.50 is more or less £1... e.g. half of £3 is £1.50 so 3+1.5= $4.50). Find what works for you and stick with it. Grocery bills can be as low as £15-20 a week if you shop right (Tesco and Sainsbury are typically cheaper than Waitrose and M&S) but can easily be £40-50 if you aren't aware. Try packing your lunch and saving money for meals at pubs once or twice a week instead of buying lunch at Pret or Eat everyday. If you plan to travel, have a general idea of where you want to go and how much you're willing to spend before your semester. Check skyscanner for cheap flights and look at airbnb or hostel world for accommodations (sometimes you can find better deals for groups on their home site so it is always worth a check!). Stick to a budget for the entire semester and you will be grateful you have cash at the end of the semester to still have some fun. |
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? | It goes by quickly! Enjoy every minute of it! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
