An unexpected magical ride Past Review
By Hanna N (Marketing., Trinity University) - abroad from 09/08/2014 to 12/20/2014 with
Arcadia: London - London Internship Program
Since I was on the internship program I did not have the typical "party every day" experience that a lot of people have. Partially, because no student living in London can afford to have that kind of life, but also because work and classes kept me busy and wore me out during the week. It was amazing to live in a big city, even though it can get lonely sometimes. However, I felt like I lived much more like an adult and it prepared me a bit for what's coming once I graduate Trinity. I did party and I did have fun, but I was so involved in my internship that I grew a lot personally and gained experience and knowledge.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Teachers were very well prepared and knew what they were talking about. They were all very nice, supportive, comprehensive, and intelligent. However, the university itself did not provide a lot of resources. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Half of them were absolutely amazing, the other half were not helpful at all. They were too strict and not really considering the students' best interests. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was a good and modern room but way too small for two people. Also, even though I loved the location (Camden Town!) we had several mice issues and it's just something that shouldn't happen because they know every year when winter starts there are mice around. It's an issue they can prevent but they haven't invested any money on that. |
| * Food: |
Very expensive, but quite good! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was easier than I thought. As a Colombian, I found out we share parts of the dark sense of humor that British people have and that people from United States don't like. It was fun to find people that didn't get so easily offended, and that know when someone is just joking around with them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The healthcare system was good and the doctor that assisted me was very nice. However, Arcadia staff DID NOT handle the issue well at all. I was home with a very high fever, unable to get off bed and feeling just awful so I missed one class (first and last time I skipped it), and Arcadia staff told me that if I didn't go to the doctor to get a doctor's note, the absence would count as unexcused. If I had left home by myself with such a high fever I probably would have fainted in the tube on my way there. It was just a ridiculous so I had an unexcused absence for a class. The one star is for the nice doctor. Not Arcadia staff. |
| * Safety: |
You just have to be careful anywhere you go in the world. I lived in Camden Town so it did get quite spooky if I was walking late at night, but it was alright. |
| 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) |
LONDON IS A VERY EXPENSIVE CITY. No matter what you do, how much you save, how hard you try. I left behind amazing friends, a piece of my heart, and my entire bank account. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 40 pounds. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Something I did that helped A LOT was to save all the coins I ever got, and then use them for laundry. |
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? | Who said British people were rude? They are incredibly nice and helpful! Don't be afraid to approach to them (but don't be creepy) |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
