I regret doing this program Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I signed up to do the Birkbeck program with three other students from Clemson University in the Spring of 2018. Like many people, I wanted to experience my time abroad with a group of students who were just as motivated to make the most of their time in Europe as I was. This was not my experience at all. We were placed in a cohort with 13 students from the University of Connecticut, which quickly became a close-knit community of about 30 students from various UConn programs that lived together in the same building. Rather than try to integrate an obvious minority, however, AES placed the four of us in a building on the complete opposite of London that was a 30 minute commute from the people we were supposed to be studying abroad with. The building was owned by Notre Dame, and the few students we met in passing were surprised to learn that Clemson students were even “allowed” to live in their dorm. We clearly didn’t fit into either community, and as a result I had an extremely difficult time connecting with other students during my time in London. When I tried explaining my situation to Stephanie Hodges later, I was told that she would "pass my recommendations on to housing" and "hoped I wasn't missing London too much." I don’t want to blame AES for my negative experience, but wanted to put this here because ever since freshman orientation I’ve had people tell me, “go study abroad - it’ll be the best time of your life!” This is not a given, and in my case it was the worst semester of my undergraduate experience. If you’re considering this program or any other, take the time to research it thoroughly. Find out where you’ll be living and with whom. Ask what efforts will be made to integrate you with your cohort, and try to speak to a student that completed the program in the past. If you’re already in a program and it isn’t everything you hoped it’d be, remember that you’re not alone. While the students that loved their study abroad experience tend to be the most vocal, it’s totally normal to have a less-than-fantastic experience. Be honest with yourself and take steps to improve your situation while you still can. And finally, if you suspect that someone else in your group is being excluded, get their number and make a positive effort to bring them in. It can make a bigger difference than you think. There are certainly good things about this program. If you choose to do it, I hope you have a better experience than I did.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Other

• London

• Social life