Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The British put Fall exams in May September 10, 2024

By (Economics and Mathematics, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/10/2023 to 05/19/2024 with

Arcadia: London - King's College London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The big lesson is to manage life and study independently, as King's does not offer dinners. The study style was also independent, as no homework was required throughout the semester.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 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:

* 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? Yes

If not for budget (paid tuition in full), I'd very much like to do it again for the quality of my academic experience.

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)

Go to Sainsbury for more choices or Tesco for price.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50 pound a week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make multiple meals in one go.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • 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?
  • Academic rigor
  • London's vibe
* What could be improved?
  • Interaction with other study-abroad students
  • Regular communication with the program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I learned everything on the go, so trust the faculty and staff well. They are very friendly people.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Groups and Symmetries
Course Department: Mathematics
Instructor: P. P. Cook
Instruction Language: English
Comments: 100% final exam in May. Considerably more difficult and in-depth than the Middlebury counterpart.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with MATH 305 Abstract Algebra I at Middlebury.
Course Name/Rating:

Game Theory and Strategic Decision-Making
Course Department: Kings Business School
Instructor: Prof. P. A. Lewis
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Prof Lewis is a knowledgeable lecturer and delivered well. The course involved responding to open-ended questions. Difficulty is slightly higher than Middlebury counterpart but not as difficult as other theory sources at KBS. It involved easy math.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with ECON 280 Game Theory at Middlebury.
Course Name/Rating:

Labor economics
Course Department: Kings Business School
Instructor: Dr. Augustin de Coulon
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course is slightly more challenging than its Middlebury counterpart. The grade is based on a final oral exam with the lecturer and a mid-term oral exam with peers.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with Labor Economics at Middlebury, although it usually satisfies a 300-level elective, not a senior seminar.
Course Name/Rating:

Public Economics: Advanced Topics
Course Department: Kings Business School
Instructor: Dr. Simona Grassi
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course involved challenging problem-solving, graph-reading, and literature review. Some calculation is involved but no advanced math. The grade is based on a mid-term (10 MCQ) and a final exam (short and long answers).
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with Public Economics at Middlebury as a 300-level elective.
Course Name/Rating:

Geometry of Surfaces
Course Department: Mathematics
Instructor: Dr. David Sheard
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Highly challenging. Memorizing formulae is required. Problems required extensive equation-solving. The lecturer delivered well. The grade is based 100% on the final exam. You are advised to be comfortable writing a 1-page answer to a 1-sentence question before signing up for this course. Great intellectual rewards.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is considerably more difficult than its counterpart Differential Geometry at Middlebury.
Course Name/Rating:

Real Analysis
Course Department: Mathematics
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not challenging to a student with a calculus background. The grade is based 100% on the final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with Real Analysis at Middlebury.
Course Name/Rating:

Complex Analysis
Course Department: Mathematics
Instructor: Professor Eugene S.
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The lecturer had a hard time engaging the audience. This course is intellectually challenging and requires memorizing some theory and formulae. The grade is based 100% on the final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with Complex Analysis at Middlebury.
Course Name/Rating:

Metric Spaces and Topology
Course Department: Mathematics
Instructor: Prof. Igor Wigman
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course is considerably more challenging than its Middlebury counterpart Introduction to Topology. The lecturer delivered well. It required extensive memorization of definitions that may seem odd to someone first encountering set topology. The grade is based 100% on the final exam.
Credit Transfer Issues: This course is replaceable with Introduction to Topology at Middlebury.