Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Life changing, reaffirming, more than I could have ever asked for Past Review

By (Northern Kentucky University) - abroad from 07/08/2017 to 07/23/2017 with

CCSA (Cooperative Center for Study Abroad): London - London Summer

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned first hand from interaction with a classmate about life in the middle east, Muslim religion, how the middle east feels towards America. The class was more than 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.

Could not have asked for a better experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Michelle Price is priceless (no pun intended). Being an older student, she made the process seamless.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Was not expecting housekeeping daily which was a very nice luxury. If it adds an expense to the cost of the program, I am not sure it is really worth it. At this point in our lives, we should be able to pick up for ourselves daily. Weekly cleaning and changing of linens I believe would be sufficient.

* Food:

Was appreciative of the meal card, however, the selections at Kings College (Wilkins Branch) left a little to be desired. Breakfast did not have a large selection unless you enjoy an English breakfast.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very integrated. Mastered the tube after the first day. Was not afraid or self-conscious being out in the city.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Not really a fair assessment since I did not have any personal experience with health care which I am grateful for, however the one instance I did hear of they were pleased.

* Safety:

Never had a time where I did not feel safe.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

The class of intercultural communication could not be more needed than it is today. No matter your background, your profession or career goals, it is imperative we as individuals are able to communicate with each other in spite of differences in culture, race, religion, ethnicity or gender to name a few.

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 130
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Poundland, London's version of our dollar store, great resource for all your needs including food. Would not waste space and time buying a lot of school or personal items to travel with when they can be purchased in London - unless you need a specific type of personal item

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* 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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Class interaction
  • Field trips
  • Being apart of London
* What could be improved?
  • Better classroom assignments within Kings College. Was kicked out of the classroom once by a Kings College staff member saying we had the wrong room, which we did not.
  • Excursions apart from class, better job of outlining costs versus publicizing excursion of getting to do certain things and then find out, half of them are on your own once there.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Give yourself a day to totally unpack, regroup and feel like you have land legs. Do not try and do it all the day you get there. Mentally you are exhausted from all the travel and checking in and orientation. Look up places you may want to see and check out times, prices prior to going so you can have a bit of an itinerary prior to arrival. Time is precious while on your study abroad.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Intercultural Communication
Course Department: Communication
Instructor: Dr. Gail Henson
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Definitely challenging. She incorporated very well our life within the city and expected us and encouraged us to practice what we were learning.
Credit Transfer Issues: Still in the process. For myself, I had to ask for a waiver since the class did not specifically replace my general education credit for cultural pluralism, it did cover what the goal of the credit was to achieve.