A terrific experience, though Arcadia didn't contribute much to it Past Review
By Deandra T (Advertising., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 06/03/2012 to 07/28/2012 with
Arcadia: London - London Internship Program Summer
The biggest thing I learned was about digital advertising in British culture through my internship. The one thing I appreciate Arcadia for is setting me up with a great company, though it wasn't like that for everyone. However, I would do this program again solely for my internship.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | City University |
| 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. |
Everyone was required to write a 5,000 word research paper in about four weeks under the guidance of an academic advisor. While I really liked my advisor, many of my friends had terrible experiences with theirs. It's pretty hit and miss, in my opinion. The paper itself is ridiculous. 5,000 words is about 20 pages double spaced, and writing that much in a couple of weeks for what is supposed to be a "research paper" doesn't make sense. Instead of focusing on producing good content, I was focused on hitting the word count the whole time. "Diversity in the British Workplace," the class everyone had to take, was quite disorganized and had no real focus. The professor was enthusiastic, though. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff seemed to be unprepared for our arrival. Many e-mails were sent out about corrections, cancellations, system errors, etc. I'm not sure how well the staff keeps in touch with City University either. I would be told one thing by Arcadia and another by City. While I won't deny that they're nice people, I think they could work on being more organized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I really enjoyed my housing. I lived in Thoresby House, a dorm style place that accommodates about 30 people. Majority of the rooms are single and have a sink and mini-fridge in them. There's about seven people to a floor along with a kitchen and two bathrooms. The location was good, only about a 10-15 minute walk to the tube stations. It wasn't located in the safest area ever, but it was safe enough that no one felt scared going out at night. |
| * Food: |
Arcadia leaves you on your own for food. Since food is more expensive in London, most of my meals were microwaved or bought from a local grocery store. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Living near a couple of tube stops and interning at a British workplace made me feel in touch with the British culture. I would definitely recommend walking to as many places as possible, as doing so helped me to feel that much more integrated. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
It's difficult to maintain a budget with so many things to do in London. While there are a lot of free things, there are also many things you need to pay to get into. Make sure you carry your student ID with you, as student discounts are frequently found at popular tourist spots. Also, since food is more expensive, it's best to limit eating out for the weekends. |
| * 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? | $80 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Limit eating out, always check for student discounts, walk as much as you can to save money on public transport |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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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? | Everything is a lot more expensive in London, so I wish I would have prepared myself better for budgeting and finding out where the best deals are. Also, London is a very walkable city, and you don't need to take the tube to get everywhere. |
