A Summer Across the Pond I Will Never Forget Past Review
By Heather S (BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES., Kansas State University) for
API (Academic Programs International): London - University of Westminster
It was very much worthwhile and I would do it all over again. One of the biggest things would be that even when it seemed like everything is going wrong, I managed to figure it out and learn how independent I can be on myself. I am more aware of other cultures from just being out on the streets with various people. There are so many different cultures and people that live in the UK so it is very different than from where I come from. I am more open minded and it is a lot easier for me to see other people's point of views because of being in another part of the world means they do many things differently. The only thing that has changed about my academic plans is to learn more about international business because of the way the world is, it is becoming more global so being understand different cultures would help my career.
Review Photos
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. |
The grading system was very different from ours back home, but easy to understand, it was more based on you having to earn your grade. Teaching wise it was different also because they expected you to do more on your own. And the education system works different in many ways. British students don't go to school in the summer, so it becomes an international school. British students only go to school for three years and they pick what they plan on going to school for in high school. They aren't able to change majors like we are able to do here, which would make it tough for some people. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The director was a huge help in making sure we all were doing okay throughout the entire program. Also, she was a great help in providing information about the country, customs and culture which helped us to adapt better. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Through the program they set up our housing for us. It was a pretty good neighborhood. There was a police station just down the street so I felt safe. Between the tube ride and walk it was about a 30 minute trip to class. And it depends where you would want to go, there was a pub on the corner of the street and there was a club about 5 minutes away so there were things close by. And I bought my own plates, bowls, cups, and silverware. They were provided but I bought my own so I didn't have to worry about sharing. Also, I bought pillows and a fan because it had gotten really hot. |
| * Food: |
It was okay, because of high prices I mostly made my own food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed our trip to Wales, we got to go into a coal mine and see a cardiff castle. Also through the program I found groups of friends to hang out with so it made it more enjoyable. Just getting to share the experience was a lot of fun and I now have more friends outside of my state. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Our program director provided us with great tips on how to keep ourselves safe. You always keep your bags and belongings close by. Don't travel alone at night. Have a plan before you leave, where you are going and how you are getting back. I didn't have any experiences with healthcare. |
| 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? | Well I mostly just made my own meals so I spent roughly 15 pounds ($25) every two weeks. For personal expenses it will vary based on what you want to do and how you want to live. For me I spent about $2,400 on expenses and food, taking the exchange rate into consideration that would be about 1,500 pounds. For 6 weeks I though that was pretty good. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just pay attention to how much you spend. I kept a spread sheet with all the money I spent just so I knew. And I took that into consideration, as well as, how much I wanted to spend there when I was deciding what I wanted to do. There weren't really to many things that were unanticipated. Knowing more information on the tube would have been nice. Because of how long I was there I ended up just buying the month pass, 127 pounds, but it was well worth it because it was unlimited travel for the month so it didn't matter how many times I rode the tube. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Take a good look at it because I never found a downfall in the program. They truly care about the students and want you to have the best experience possible. Students who want to study abroad and be on their own, but still have a lifeline if something goes wrong. Also, if you want some structure to your experience this would be a good one because they provide you tools you need such as things to do and not to do, things to say and not to say. And just how to blend in better, which helps you to adapt easier and faster. |
