London: Where did time go? Past Review
By Devanie E (Political Science/Communications, Austin College) for
Arcadia: London - Arcadia in London
I believe that my study abroad experience was definetely worthwhile and would never regret it. I learned alot about myself and about my own potential to accomplish more than I ever thought I could. The people that I met opened up my eyes and have truly impacted me and my mindset. I hope to work abroad or find a job after graduation that will allow me to travel back and fourth to strengthen my cultural awareness even more.
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. |
Work load overall was not too bad. You are not expected to any busy work but you are expected to do the readings outside of class. Grading system is different than in the states and an A in London is considered able to be published. Teaching methods varied but lecture, break, seminar also known as a group lecture or discussion which was more student led would happen. You only have a few assignments and that is all that they grade you on so you should make sure to do well on them. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were supportive and caring. I liked that the class sizes were small. I disliked the lack of communication or ease of communication when it came to instructors. My expectations were met to an extent and overall I got alot of the courses I took. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My living situation was in a four story flat. I had one roommate but 7 girls lived on my floor. 2 bathrooms a living room and a kitchen. Our neighborhood was called Redcliffe Gardens and was really nice but in a wealthy area of London which meant everything was a bit more expensive in the area. I bought sheets but we were provided with an iron and washing machine. We were given cooking ware. Our flat was almost an hour away from school if you took the underground so that could cause problems if you needed to get somewhere quickly. Overall we had a great set-up. |
| * Food: |
O'neils is a great place to get good food and meet great people. King Kebab will most likely be your late night choice which is close to Redcliffe in Earls Court. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Exploring London with the people that I live with rather my "flat mates" has been amazing. You will never run out of things to see and places to go. Make sure that you travel outside of London while you are here because it is easy to do and you will not regret it. Barcelona is an amazing place to visit and so is Ireland! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Overall the city was very safe and I don't know of many people that had any issues. Watch out for pick pockets but that is about it. |
| 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? | 50 pounds or more each week. Depends on if you have already gotten groceries and what area you live in. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It costs 75 pounds or 115 dollars about to get a month long oyster card. That was something we were not really aware of. Also, if you get a cell phone it can range in price but I spent about 15 pounds or 25 dollars a month on it. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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 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? | If you are considering the internship program make sure that you are willing to do a lot of independent work and have a keen sense and ability to learn things and figure them out on your own. No one will be babysitting you in London and they will not hold your hand in your internship. I suggest that a strong willed individual would benefit most in this program. |
