Studying abroad in Leeds is an amazing experience! Past Review
By Raeal Staley (Emmanuel College (Massachusetts)) - abroad from 09/18/2019 to 12/14/2019 with
API (Academic Programs International): Leeds - University of Leeds
I learned it is okay to step outside of your comfort zone. I would have never thought that I would have studied abroad and I am so glad that I did.
Review Photos
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. |
I took two sociology classes and one history class at the University of Leeds. I thought that the professors were very engaging and I enjoyed attending my lectures everyday. There were approximately 150-200 people in each of my lectures. There were also seminars for each of your classes that we attended each week. There were between 10 and 15 students in each of my seminars. I really liked being able to learn in a hands on environment which also allows you to become friends with the local students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
API is absolutely wonderful with making you feel comfortable while you are abroad. My program director ended up becoming a second mom to me and was always available to answer any questions I had. I ended up having a slight issue with one of my classes in Leeds and my on-site director was very quick to help assist with the issue. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
For a housing accommodation, I stayed in an off campus residence hall with four other flatmates. In our flat, there were five individual rooms, with a shared bathroom and kitchen. We frequently had flat dinners together, which was really nice and helped all of us bond. Three of my flatmates were from England and one was from France. I loved that I lived with English students because I was able to learn a lot about the English culture from them. The residence hall is a beautiful and easy 30-40 minute walk to campus and about a 15 minute bus ride. |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself most nights in my flat. There are restaurants and pubs around if you don't feel like cooking all the time. There is also a grocery store that is less than a 5 minute walk from the housing accommodation. I will say that I am gluten and dairy free and sometimes found it difficult to find gluten free food options in the grocery stores. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I found it super easy to integrate with the local culture. Living with British students definitely made it much easier. Attending lectures and seminars is another great way to feel integrated with the culture. I learned so much about the English culture in the short time that I was there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt completely safe the entire time that I was in Leeds. As long you pay attention to your surroundings while you are out, you are fine. I went to the city center by myself almost every day and never felt that my safety was in danger. Like any city, there are spots to avoid but it is made clear to you where these places are. It is API's main goal to keep you safe and they are very good about that. If you do any travel anywhere outside of Leeds, API likes you to tell them where you are so that they can keep track of what is happening in that area while you are there. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 (I have dietary restrictions which made my expenses higher) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Since I went abroad in the Fall, I worked all summer and saved as much money as I could for my study abroad experience. There are plenty of ways to save money while abroad as well. Making your own food each week is much cheaper than eating out. There are lots of student deals if you have your student ID with you that make it very easy to save money. If you do study abroad in Leeds, I highly recommend downloading the UNIDAYS app. It allows you to get great deals at local restaurants and shops. |
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? | The first few days in Leeds I was really homesick and thought that I had made the wrong decision to study abroad. I wish that I knew that it is okay to feel that way and that it is okay to experience cultural adjustment while abroad. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
