Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

SOAS review Past Review

By (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/05/0018 to 05/01/2018 with

Arcadia: London - SOAS, University of London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I grew up and was able to become a much more mature and flexible person

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My time was not very indicative due to the strikes but it seemed to have a lot of academic rigor and interesting classes offered

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The living situation that SOAS provides is really bad and old. It is not well kept and almost feels like it is falling apart. Very dark.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The program and school did not do a long orientation making it very hard to integrate.

* 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? No

The program was not the best fit for me and the strike really hindered my experience. I think that SOAS was a really hard school to integrate to as an abroad student.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Get a budgeting app

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
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
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Friends
  • travel
  • some interesting classes
* What could be improved?
  • integration
  • Knowledge of what type of school it is beforehand
  • Climate of school
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew what type of school SOAS is known for and the living situation. I also wish I knew that they really do not do a good job of integrating the students. I think if I had done it again I would choose to go elsewhere.

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 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.