Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Summer of a Lifetime Past Review

By (Humanities, Brigham Young University) - abroad from 07/01/2012 to 08/25/2012 with

Brigham Young University: Cambridge University Programme

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I developed a more global understanding of the world and history. I experienced so many things is such a short amount of time. As a Cambridge student, I had special access to things that the general public never gets to experience. It was worth it.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The programme was very disorganized. We went with the programme to Scotland for a weekend and didn't find out the agenda until the night before. There website kept crashing as well.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Fitzwilliam Street housing was simple and clean. I liked my experience there.

* Food:

The food was decent. Some days it was subpar, some days it was exceptional. The waffles in the servery and panini's at the Pembroke Cafe were excellent.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I wish I had had the opportunity to interact more with the locals of Cambridge and English people in general.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never needed health care while I was there, but the nurse was known and available.

* Safety:

I felt fairly safe most of the time I was there. As I girl, I wouldn't have thought it smart to walk about by myself late at night, but I never felt particularly unsafe.

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)

To sum it up, the pound is a lot stronger than the dollar.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Make sure to budget the money on your meal card at the servery and the CUS cafe so that you don't run out or have a ton left at the end of the programme. Plan ahead! You can get cheaper tickets for trains or shows if you figure it out ahead of time.

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

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

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • Opportunity to Travel
  • Excellent classes focusing on personal engagement
  • Beautiful and historical location
* What could be improved?
  • Organization and communication of directors to students
  • More flexible meal plan
  • Better trained programme assistants
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had known more indepth information about the program such as where things were and how much money to plan on spending per week. I also wish I had a better historical understanding of the city I was living in.