A Semester at King's College Past Review
By Lillie F (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Austin College) for
Arcadia: London - King's College London
I am much more self-confident than I was before I went abroad. This program forced me outside of my comfort zone and to take a more active role in my classes. Although I lived on my own before studying abroad, I am now more sure of my ability to provide for myself on a day to day basis and adaptability in new situations. Going abroad was definitely an enriching experience and something that I think any student can benefit from as long as they are open minded.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The work load at King's College was much heavier than I have experienced at Austin College. I was taking four English Modules and two of them were meant for third year students (the equivalent to a post-grad course in the states). I had an immense amount of reading to keep up with every week. Although I was glad for the academic challenge, I wish I had a little more free time to explore the London. The class structure was also different from the classes I have taken at Austin College. A lecture at King's generally contained 50-80 students in one class, and even with the additional seminars, there was very little one-on-one contact between students and their professors. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Arcadia was extremely hard to get in contact with concerning concerning class registration and issues with registration. Their knowledge of the host country was strong and many of the representatives were locals. Arcadia's London program is excellent if you are an independent individual looking to immerse yourself in London life. However, their organization and accessibility leave much to be desired. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
If you want to go out, a lot of smaller restaurants near campus will offer meal specials for students. Pret a Manger is also a cheap and fast place to eat out. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was very happy with the social aspects of my program. Although I didn't attend any of the group trips with Arcadia, I was still able to travel some in Europe and attend many London events. Some of my favorite things included: Food shopping (and sampling various products) at Borough Market, Visiting Covent Gardens around Christmas time/taking in London's beautiful Christmas lights, and attending various live music shows. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
My hall was located in central London (London Bridge Tube Station). I felt relatively safe although several people who lived in my hall did get mugged over the course of the semester. As long as you follow general safety guidelines (don't go out alone at night, you should be fine. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would advise future students to cook for themselves as often as possible. It is very expensive to eat out in London, especially when you figure in the exchange rate. Even though I cooked most of my meals, the meal check provided for me by Arcadia did not cover all expenses. Tesco has great food sales and I would recommend doing a lot of your grocery shopping there if you are trying to save money. |
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? | The person who will benefit most from this program is independent and ready to take on a challenge academically. |
