Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Challenging but rewarding. Past Review

By (Undecided, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/07/2015 to 12/19/2015 with

Arcadia: London - Arcadia in London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a great sense of independence and I matured a lot.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

There was not a meal plan. I had to cook all of my meals or go out to eat which became very expensive.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I would have preferred more international exposure. I would have benefited more from a host family.

Finances

* 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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $250
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Save money by eating out less.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Classes
  • Teachers
  • Traveling
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
  • Planned excursions
  • Residential Staff
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how on my own I was going to be. There was not much support from any housing staff and orientation was not too helpful.

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 Linguist
You 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!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to Sociology

Course Department: Sociology
Instructor: Chris McMillan
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Best class I took abroad. Interesting and provocative. Chris was always prepared and had interesting activities and trips readily available to integrate us into British culture. Blog posts were the primary form of homework along with a midterm and final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to British Politics

Course Department: Politcal Science
Instructor: Simone Kaye
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The class was interesting and informative. I learned a lot about the way the British political system works. Great teacher and one field trip to parliament. Lots of reading and essays.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Writing London

Course Department: English
Instructor: Laurence Scott
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was great. The 1st half of class was a seminar and the second was a time for peer and professor editing of the short essays that we had written the previous week. We had a portfolio of 8, short, 400 word essays and then a midterm and final essay that were all graded and averaged together to give a final grade.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to British Media

Course Department: Media
Instructor: Morgan Daniels
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This class was my least challenging, but nonetheless fun and interesting. We went on a field trip to the BBC, and discussed relevant issues of the media in today's society. Class participation was necessary because it was an extremely informal discussion based class. We had 3 papers that were graded.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A