Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

The greatest experience of my life Past Review

By (Marketing., Trinity University) - abroad from 06/03/2014 to 07/26/2014 with

Arcadia: London - London Internship Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about how to be stable on my own and how to manage a real world job. I can't really pin point how it impacted my life but I definitely feel like I grew up as a person.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic courses were not difficult but I think that is good for studying abroad experience because you get to experience more of the city. Although the classes were not hard I still learned a great amount from the classes

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They were always there if we needed questions and were great at responding to emails and offering a lot of help.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved that we got to live with American students in a residential area of London. It was the perfect was to engage us with the true community feel.

* Food:

Everything I tried was amazing. not much is different from America but the fish n chips were great!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I wish I got to communicate a little more with British people besides at work, but it was great getting to commute on the tube with the true "Londoners" and feel part of their lifestyle

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

They had a doctor that covered us if we ever needed anything

* Safety:

I always felt safe walking around even in downtown at 2am. London is a very safe city.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Groceries in London are VERY cheap! The only thing is that restaurants can get expensive. Stuff like eat and pret were great on the go snacks

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I would say 80 pounds a week which was pretty slim.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? You always need a lot more money than you think. I always ate in during the week and go out on the weekends so save your money for the weekends!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Activities as a group
  • The center itself provided
  • The living arrangements
* What could be improved?
  • Better coordination of events
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew not to bring heels or nice work clothes because I did not expect I would be walking as much and not have to dress as nice to work because the work in London is jeans and a nice shirt, much more casual.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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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.