summer in London Past Review
By Lucia H (Sociology and Anthropology., Brandeis University) - abroad from 06/04/2012 to 07/28/2012 with
Arcadia: London - Arcadia in London Summer
Studying abroad in London was definitely a great personal experience and challenge. London is also a great jumping off point for doing other traveling throughout Europe.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
N/A -- self catered |
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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 got very sick almost immediately after arriving, and though the program staff demonstrated concern overall, the delay in giving me the necessary information (regarding the UK healthcare system and insurance) deterred me from seeing a doctor and created an alienating and frightening experience. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $30-50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Definitely attempt to cook for yourself and purchase food from grocery stores -- which are affordable and widely available (surprising for a big city like London). Split kitchen essentials with roommates and friends, since you will probably not use them all for the duration of the summer. Pubs are a good, cheap option for going out with for lunch or dinner with friends. Take the double decker buses! They are cheaper than the Tube and give you a great tour of the city. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | 0 |
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? | I discovered that the number of credit hours did not meet Brandeis's requirements and had to schedule extra tutorials and go through a complicated process. However, these were actually more interesting than the course itself. |
