Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Global City, Global Experience, Global Fun!! Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., Washington State University - Pullman campus) - abroad from 07/04/2012 to 08/22/2012 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained an international component to my resume. I also gained friendships that will last a lifetime.

Review Photos

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England Photo CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Wasn't hard, but semi-challenging with the balance of travels, exploring, and school work.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration of the progaram was very good! All the administrators were helpful, communicative, and understanding.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Lived in an apartment building with all American's involved in the program. Enabled friendships to be made easy making the time there a lot of fun!

* Food:

You get a forty-pound stipend weekly which definitely helped with the food expenses.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

CAPA provided lots of tours, excursions, and other opportunities to be integrated and involved with the local culture. Definitely helped with the overal experience.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Universal Health Care in the UK. I didn't need to use it but a few of the other students did, and didn't have any real issues with the system.

* Safety:

It was a BIG city. There was a reliable transportation system allowing for safe travel to where-ever you want to go. Their was a few cases of petty theft though.

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)

The exchange rate was fairly high, so had to budget well. I managed with the 40 pound stipend and my personal expenses.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-150$
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Have a credit card/debit card, and buy grocery foods to cook.

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 People
  • The Living Situation
  • The City
* What could be improved?
  • A bit more freedom in the living quarter.
  • Different Internship Placements
  • Wider Class Choices.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bring more money!

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 Networker
An active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Analyzing the Global City
Course Department: Sociology
Instructor: O'Connell
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Wasn't very challenging. We had to write 5 500-1,000 word essays. It was actually quite exciting considering we would be exploring historical parts of the city every class. The teacher was also very nice and easy going. As far as participation I participated about as much as I would have back at my home institution.
Credit Transfer Issues: The only issue was that I had to send some extra paper work to two places instead of one. Not really a big deal.
Course Name/Rating:

Internship

Course Department: Internship
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course wasn't challenging, it was actually fairly easy. The only actual assignment was to put a portfolio together of various aspects of the Internship.
Credit Transfer Issues: N/A