London: Being Fabulously British Past Review
By Katrina L (Communication, Trinity University) for
Arcadia: London - University of Westminster
Yes! I have grown and matured as a person and my perspective on life and the world has widened drastically. I am a better, more well-rounded person because of it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The UK uni system is less structured, therefore leaving students responsible to conduct their own reading, research, etc. without being prompted by a syllabus or professor. The mandatory workload was thus very low. The grading system uses a different numerical scale where a 70=A+. Though different, it was not too difficult to understand. Students are grouped by their course (or major) and took a set of required classes for that course. As a study abroad student, I had classes in many different courses, which was nice for the variety. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Arcadia also had a host country support team for us to rely on. That orientation was very helpful. University of Westminster also prepared an orientation day where students received a packet of information and sat through a slide show about various information points. Their knowledge about the host country and the American school system was thorough. I left the orientation feeling informed and prepared. The University of Westminster program size was very large as the university spans across four campuses. Both orientations went above and beyond my expectations. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
University of Westminster sent an email about a company who makes packs of household items (such as sheets, cooking supplies, pillows, hangers, etc) that can be shipped directly to a dorm. I would recommend students look into such a service as it took away the burden of having to go out and buy supplies. I lived on the Harrow campus, which was 20 minutes outside Central London. It is in a residential area though there is a nice town center about 20 min away (walking) or 3 min (by tube). |
| * Food: |
I did not have a meal plan. We were provided with a kitchen and did all of our shopping and cooking. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
See Above. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
London is a very safe city. I was never pick-pocketed and I never once felt unsafe or scared to be walking on traveling by myself. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to keep a budget, but make sure you have fun and do the things you really want to do. I did not encounter any unanticipated expenses. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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