Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A brilliant british adventure Past Review

By (Fordham University) - abroad from 01/12/2012 to 04/13/2012 with

Arcadia: London - City, University of London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I was able to learn about the British culture and learn how to adapt to a different culture. I can use this experience in business to work with people of different cultures more effectively. I believe this experience was very worthwhile because I will be able to use some of the things I learned on a daily basis.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The University had all of the necessary resources for the students to be successful.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff was very reachable at all times and provided helpful information.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was in a great location, however, the rooms were very small

* Food:

The food on campus was average but there were a great variety of options around the campus area.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

The area was very safe. There was no point where I felt that I was in a potentially dangerous situation.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

London is an expensive city. On top of being expensive, the exchange rate was not favorable.

* 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? Around $125-$150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If a food plan is not available, try to buy food at the grocery store and cook for yourself as much as possible. Eating out is a lot easier, but the cost starts adding up very quickly.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
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?
  • The location of the program. Both of the hosing options were located in a great part of London. The central location allowed the students to take full advantage of all the things London had to offer.
  • The program gave the students a lot of opportunities to participate in various events and function around the city.
* What could be improved?
  • The students in the program lived in two different dorms that were fairly far apart. This made it difficult for the students to interact on a regular basis.
  • Arcadia had several different programs, but the students were only formally introduced to the students in their immediate program. I think that it would have been good an event to have all the students in the different programs meet each other.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more about the student oyster card. Having the card allows the students to save money on tube rides. Had I known more about this card, I would have been able to save more money.