Past Review
By Allison M (Public Relations, Boston University) for
Boston University: London - London Internship Program
It was absolutely worthwhile. I got to explore anywhere in Europe I wanted to go and learned a lot about British culture. Fun fact: they're NOT much different from us. In fact, we steal a lot from them (music, style, technology, etc...). I would love to go back and work in England. Even though the program has its faults, it's absolutely worth it for the internship and the experiences you'll have in a foreign country.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were easy, which is great considering that you really want to use your free time to travel, not do homework. I loved my two elective classes, but I thought my core PR class was a waste of time (learned nothing, lots of time listening to professor have personal one-on-one discussions with other girls in the class), and I still don't agree with the fact that you get your internship grade based on the paper you write (as opposed to your actual work). My electives (Contemporary British Theatre and British Youth Culture) were AMAZING! Both changed my outlooks on Britain, theatre and culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration team was terribly unorganized (they would send you messages from your professor about deadlines after the deadlines passed, etc...) and were slow to respond to almost everything. I can't tell if they were short-staffed or just had time-management issues. Kate Atwell is amazing, though. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Amazing housing. I was afraid when I learned I'd be in a quad, but it was HUGE. And the kitchen was great! Absolutely no complaints (other than the fact that we had to buy a few pans and things because the ones they gave us were really old. Oh and we bought a grater.) |
| * Food: |
You have a kitchen. There is no dining hall, so you're on your own for food. The foodstore for me was literally a 2 minute walk away, so no complaints here. Sainsburys has everything and is really cheap. Waitrose has great produce but is slightly more expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Some of the trips were great and well organized, others failed terribly. I recommend doing the prisali adventure weekend and some of the day trips. The one that takes you to Stratford/Warwick is really fun. The day trips are generally a really good deal too because you go a lot of places for a lot less than you'd pay to go alone. Go on trips. In terms of the club nights, I recommend finding your own club. It always seems like a great idea to go to a club with the group (especially if there are free drinks involved) but sometimes the place ends up so packed with Americans that you can't find British people to hang out with. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I had no health issues, but my friend had to go to a hospital. We were pretty much on our own for that. You have to pay for it, but can usually get insurance to reimburse you. Also South Kensington is incredibly safe (y'know but don't let your guard down no matter how safe your area is...) |
| 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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Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
It was an English speaking country... so I didn't learn that much. But I did learn the difference between theatre and theater. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | You have to be on top of your stuff. Don't let things wait until the last minute because they won't get done. Sometimes an email won't cut it, you have to go into the office to get things done, but other than that the internship is a great great GREAT opportunity that you probably won't get again, so this program is amazing for that. |
