Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

an incredible experience Past Review

By (Human Relations, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 09/18/2012 to 12/22/2012 with

Arcadia: London - City, University of London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
YES! I learned a lot. I gained a sense of independence and became more confident when having to figure things out on my own in a place unfamiliar to me. London is an incredible place, and you will never be bored! make sure you travel a lot to other places on the weekend because it's definitely worth it. It's what you make of it, but you can't really go wrong. I also made some really great friends!

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.

Classes were not incredibly interesting, and the course work was relatively light. The resources weren't great, and I found that it was hard to get help from the university. You are pretty much on your own as far as figuring out what you need to do in your classes goes.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Not very helpful at all. The orientation the first week helps a little, but after that you are pretty much completely on your own. However, it doesn't really make a difference because you do not really need any resources from them for a successful study abroad experience.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in Nido, which is a sort of high rise student living building. The location is convenient because it is about a 10 minute walk to kings cross and 15 minute walk to city university. The room is pretty small, but you shouldn't be spending a lot of time in there anyways. The facility is not the best, but it worked out just fine for the 4 months I was there. Most of the people in my program all lived on the same floor and shared a communal kitchen so it was a really easy way to get to know everyone and become friends with them but don't expect to meet anyone else in Nido that's not in your program.

* Food:

In general, food in London isn't great but you will still find good places to eat. Food is expensive, so we usually just cooked

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

You really have to make an effort to meet people in london that aren't american or in your program. You probably won't really meet a ton of people at school, but just try to go to local places.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

london is very safe

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

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)

everything is really expensive because of the exchange rate, but if you spend your money wisely you will be fine

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • people
  • location
* What could be improved?
  • resources
  • staff
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Not to worry about it, because the program isn't that long and you will figure out everything once you get there

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.