Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Great experience, not a great program. Past Review

By (University of Minnesota - Twin Cities) - abroad from 01/10/2012 to 04/21/2012 with

Study Abroad Programs in London

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned a lot about myself. It was difficult but very fun at the same time. Definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

very long classes, not very interesting or engaging.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Treated us like high school students. If we had a problem they would pretend to care but overall were very rude about it.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We were far outside of the city of London, about a 40 minute tube ride. The apartments were great, small-- but that was to be expected in a city like London.

* Food:

Definitely not known for their food!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Felt great with Londoners. It helps that we share a language.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I went to the hospital because of an ear infection. They were not helpful and told me I would have to wait for at least 2 hours and could not make an appointment. I did not return and had my mom send me medicine from the US instead.

* Safety:

Felt very safe, until the last few weeks. We had a stalker outside of our apartment complex.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Very easy. The program gave us a weekly stipend and I always made it last.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 40-50 GBP
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? SAVE before you go. but don't feel guilty when you spend your money abroad. You are only there once, don't hold back on having adventures.

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

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The oyster card (given to us by the program, unlimited use!)
  • The weekly food stipend (really helped me not spend my money)
  • Our apartment (in pretty good shape, loved my roommates and everyone in the building)
* What could be improved?
  • The commute. We were too far away from London. Made it very difficult to experience nightlife and see sights.
  • The classes. EXTREMELY long and boring.
  • The staff. Some very rude people in the internships department.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How intense the classes were. I would have chosen a different program that had less homework/busywork and allowed us to actually experience the city. I feel like I didn't even see London because I was always writing papers. Also, if I had known how large the program was, I would have chosen a different one. It is hard to bond and make friendships with so many people. If the program was much smaller it would have been easier for us to have connections.