Past Review
By Kelsey V (Liberal Studies, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) for
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: London - London Study Summer Program
My experience was incredible. I loved every bit of it. From making new friends, seeing as much of London as I could, to the classes, and the nightlife, I now have so many amazing memories to look back on. I was able to see a new culture in London and appreciated more in regards to its history, the literature, and the theatre. I truly hope that I can go back and do all the things that I did not get a chance to do as well as revist the places that I went and loved.
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 work load was a lot but not as difficult as I thought it was going to be. The teachers were very accommodating and helpful. All of the classes were interesting and connected well with all of the sights and field trips we went on. The grading methods were also fair and not extremely hard. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
We were able to get in contact with our program administrators which was great and we had knowledge about the program and what we needed about the academics. The program size was a little on the higher side which made field trips and traveling somewhat difficult and distracting. Otherwise I think everything was great. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were in a safe and beautiful area which was great. We were a little out of the way of the nightlife but I am glad for this because it was not too loud where we lived. The arrangements in the flat were mediocre. The place was quite old so some of the furnishings were not very comfortable and some of the windows and doors were sometimes easily broken. |
| * Food: |
The food in London was great. In our flat we all were able to buy our own food and make it in the kitchen which was nice as well when we didn't want to go out and eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There was so much to see and so much to do. Going into central London brought so many opportunities of sight seeing and other tourist attractions that could keep you busy all day. We went on many field trips that enhanced some of these places. Day trips and weekend trips through the program were also very fun and guided well but a lot going on in short periods of time. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe the majority of the time on my trip. No one that I know was in any bad situations where they were unsafe. A lot of the safety comes with yourself and your own responsibility and decisions. |
| 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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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This is a great program that will bring you into London and make you want to stay forever. The length of the program and all of the activities are so much fun and you will experience so much. I highly recommend it. It was an amazing experience. If you are the type of person that doesn't want the language barrier this is a great program, as well as being with people from your school is a great thing. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
London: Roman Colony - World Capital |
| Course Department: | Humanities 316 |
| Instructor: | John Makey |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was very interesting and broadened my mind on the history of London. We had many field trips that applied to what we learned about but they were sometimes too long or not very thrilling and made our days extremely long and tiring. This was not a very challenging course and the instructor was very knowledgeable and always knew more information to expand on in class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
| Course Name/Rating: |
British Literature: Romanticism |
| Course Department: | English 333 |
| Instructor: | Catherine Watinas |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The class was not very challenging. We were able to see what the poets were talking about in relation to London and connect everything with our experiences which was really fun and interesting. The teacher was very knowledgeable and passionate about the class and the content. There was some class participation when reading the poems and going on field trips which related to the authors and some of their works that we had focused on in class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
World Drama |
| Course Department: | Theatre 390 |
| Instructor: | Josh Machamer |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was not challenging at all and it was incredible. Going to 16 different plays around London truly immersed us into the various aspects that make up World Drama. Participation in class was great because everyone had something to say about the play and most people learned more from others responses. By going to so many plays we got to see London in a different way. The teacher was very knowledgeable about all of the plays and even more about theatre in general. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
