London: "It's Like America" Past Review
By A student (Providence College) - abroad from 01/03/2012 to 04/12/2012 with
Arcadia: London - London Internship Program
I definitely gained more independence. The combination of a fairly hands-off program with the long commute to work and a constant eye on the budget made for a very grown-up experience. I kind of feel like I've graduated already now that I'm so used to city livin'
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | City University London |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Overall, the classes felt just challenging enough. Because I was interning full time as well as taking classes, it felt like I was always on the move. I appreciated the structure of not having much homework, but still getting value out of the classes themselves. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Definitely a helpful group of people. My only real complaint is that there wasn't much organization in regards to meeting our fellow students. They kind of just threw us in a house and said, "have fun." I wish there were more group events. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The house itself was great - four suite-style floors with a big common room on each. The issue though, was that it was so far away from everything. I lived in Redcliffe Gardens, which is a nice area, but it took a good 40 min to get into central London via the tube. An hour if I was going to class or work. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was tough to meet young locals because our house was in such a upper-middle class neighborhood. You also need to learn the night bus route quick - the tube closes early and it's a long journey home after the pubs. |
| * Food: |
The food wasn't ideal. A lot of fish and chips. There seemed to be a lot more chemicals/ saturated fats in my daily groceries than in America (but let's face it, it's not like I could afford London's inflated organic options). My advice: get creative and keep an open mind. Chicken and fresh veggies can go a long way. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Like I mentioned under housing, I wasn't as integrated as I would have liked simply because of distance. That excuse aside, it's tough to TRULY feel integrated in London because it's so vastly diverse. Very often, I felt like I could just as easily be wandering through New York. I definitely felt more like a Londoner when I was at work in East London. City University was far too commuter to feel very connected. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I thought I had strep throat at one point, so I went to a doctor's office recommended to study abroad students. All he told me was to drink juice and get sleep and charged 100 pounds. The front desk knew of Arcadia's program but said I'd have to work out the insurance (i.e. reimbursement) with them myself. I was redirected to 5 different people before someone told me they couldn't help me because the office wasn't partnered with the school. |
| * Safety: |
It was absolutely fine. London has a system of cameras called CCTV that basically monitor every corner like Big Brother. It's creepy, but it prevents crime on a wide-scale. Further, guns are illegal and everything closes relatively early. Unless you make some seriously poor decisions, you'll feel quite safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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 was hard. London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. You have to be thrifty and get creative. |
| * 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? | About 100 pounds a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy booze from cheap corner stores before the pub, get the monthly tube card, and get into an exercise routine because you'll probably be eating a lot of burger king. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | How American it is. You can tell yourself you'll branch out and meet locals, but easier said than done. You live with Americans and go to school with Americans. I made a couple British friends by being proactive, but you're usually so busy all week that once the weekend rolls around, all you want to do is relax with the people you're with (Americans). I also wish I knew how divided the city of London feels. Every tube stop feels like a different city - so it's harder to navigate (in my opinion) than the easy grids of NYC. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Filming the City |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Ryan Powell |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Great, great class. We watched a ton of British films - some odd choices, but always interesting. Basically no homework, just readings. The best part of the class was the final project where we got to split up into groups and make our own silent film. Professor Powell runs the class as an open forum, which leads to some good discussions. He's a really good dude. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Journalism: News and Feature Writing |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | V. Mistiaen |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was hands-down the most rewarding class I took abroad. I had never taken a journalism class before, and by the time it was over I was seriously considering a career change. Because London is such a newspaper-driven city, we got to analyze current events each week seen through the lens of different publications. The class requires you to keep up to date on a specific newspaper and share your findings with the class, which really helps develop your own unique style. Professor Mistiaen can come across as a little strict, but it's only because she has a wealth of professional experience to offer. The final project is to write an independent feature, complete with interviews. It was challenging and extremely fulfilling. We even got to go on a field trip to the BBC and poke around the studios. Take this class. |
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| Course Name/Rating: |
Diversity in the British Workplace |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Richard Maguire & Emily Wescott |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Diversity in the British Workplace is the mandatory class for the London Internship program. It only meets fortnightly, but when it hits, it hits hard. Many people stopped showing up after the first few weeks, and those who did come to class usually did some napping. The literature is dense and the context of history covered is a bit sporadic and unclear. Richard and Emily are nice people, and when we were able to debate on things like societal structures things got a bit livelier - but the content is generally very dull. The worst part about this class is that it demands massive amounts of studying for papers and tests. With a schedule that already demands two other classes, an internship, and a 7,500 word thesis, this class seemed irrelevant and time-wasting. |
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