In every city I traveled to, I still thought of London as my home! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

While my classes at the Arcadia Center were not as rigorous as my classes at City, University of London, they provided me with a great deal of knowledge about the country and city I was studying in. And, of course, the staff was impeccable!

On-site administration of your program

Incredibly helpful for anything that I needed them for

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Thoresby House where Dave Bradshaw was the RLA and he was just amazing! He was like a friend to all of us and we all had such a great semester!

I am probably one person who actually enjoyed the British cuisine! Just be open to new things!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt it very easy to immerse myself in British culture. This was definitely due to the central location of both the Arcadia Center and my housing allocation. Arcadia was located closer to many of the tourist spots, with things like Piccadilly Circus and Hyde Park just a few tube stops away. My house, on the other hand, was in the Borough of Islington, where many pubs and restaurants were located. Just being able to travel around the city made me feel very integrated in the local culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I personally did not have personal experience with the healthcare, although a few of my friends did. It was such extensive coverage that we all knew if something went wrong, we would be able to receive proper treatment. The directors extensively went over the insurance and had flyers posted in the houses and Center telling us how to make doctors appointments if necessary. There were no prevalent health issues in my host city.

I have never felt as safe as I did in London. For my entire almost four months abroad, I never heard of the tragic killings that are prevalent in the States. I was able to freely walk around alone at night and not be afraid, however one should still remember that London is a major metropolis. Any large dangers present to us were sent out in news alerts by the US Embassy; in this way, we were still knowledgable of any dangers that may be posed to us while we were in the city. However, London definitely felt the safest out of any city that I have ever spent time in.

I had the most wonderful four months of my life in the Arcadia in London program. I definitely encourage anyone who is looking into studying abroad, but is not sure where to go, to look into London. It is such a diverse city, where you get a variety of cultures, but a place that does not have a language barrier. It is a large city, but easily navigated. It is so close to other European countries and travel between them in a fraction of the price it is to travel around the States. The staff in the Arcadia in London program are some of the sweetest people I have ever met; they wanted to form relationships with each of the students and would meet with us throughout the semester to make sure everything was going well. Even though I traveled all around Europe during my semester, when people ask me my favorite place I visited, I tell them London because it was the most incredible place I have ever been.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I am rating "money" so low only because London is an incredibly expensive city if you want to actually do anything in it. Also, the pound to dollar conversion rate is pretty awful at the moment, so anything I purchased was actually much more expensive in dollars. I had a good portion of money saved before I went abroad, but I went through all of it quite easily, just due to the elevated costs of everything in London.

Select all that apply

• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Americans

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Traveling
• Events & Excursions Put on by Arcadia Staff

• N/A

The Outright Urbanite