Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Wonderful Spring in London! Past Review

By (Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities) - abroad from 01/10/2012 to 04/20/2012 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned about how to live on my own and deal with different types of people (4 very different roommates). Learned that language differences are a huge part of cultural exchange, and how similar Western (American/European) cultures are.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

There were some safety incidents at our housing site.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We had stained floors, and the electrical wiring had some problems, but otherwise very good!

* Food:

We made our own food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Very integrated - i worked in a hospital in London.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Everyone had health insurance and knew where to get medication or make doctors appointments.

* Safety:

Some safety issues with locals in our neighborhood. One of the students was mugged. And there was a peeping tom on our block. But otherwise pretty safe.

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)

* 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? 50 pounds
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy ingredients and make cheap food. Get discount store-brands whenever possible.

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?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The internship, I had a very good work experience there.
  • Living with students my age, and the freedom that allowed me to have.
  • Weekly stipend budget that was allotted to us.
* What could be improved?
  • Better housing location.
  • Would be good to have access to local gym or recreation facility.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? To do more things when I was free and had the time.