Can I go back now? Past Review

By Nicole G (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., Arizona State University) - abroad from 01/09/2013 to 04/20/2013 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

This experience taught me how independent I could be. I was perfectly fine just walking around London by myself not really caring where I ended up, which is something I never do in America. This being said I made friendships with people that I am blessed to have met.

Review Photos

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England Photo

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	The housing was about 45 minutes away from our school location but that was about the only down side. The people I lived with were amazing and I could't ask for a better group of people to become family with!
* Food:	The portion sizes aren't quite as big in London as America but overall it was much healthier I felt. Though they do do breakfast differently but thats alright I found actual pancakes eventually.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I personally felt safer in London then I do at Arizona.
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)	We were given a 40 pound stipend for food each week and that was all I needed. Of course for other things I spent a little more than I should have. Always be prepared to buy souvenirs thats what I spent a third of my money on.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	Again food was generally covered by the 40 pound stipend we received each week.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Overall try not to get carried away. I know I wish I had saved a little more to travel to other places but I don't regret anything I bought. But be prepared you probably will buy clothes and alcohol, and you will want to travel and that all adds up really fast.

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 atmosphere of London. The friendships I made while aboard. The MyEducation events the program put on.
* What could be improved?	How they handle tube delays or closures.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	How much I would miss it when I had to come back to America.

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 Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Shakespeare In London
Course Department:
Instructor:	Howard-Smith
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	The course was just the right amount of outside work without being overbearing and was not a lot of busy work. The classes were either spent reviewing films/plays or going out into London and seeing some Shakespearean landmarks. The field trips were perfect and I enjoyed learning every second. Our homework consisted of writing formal reviews of all the plays we attended outside of class comparing them to other works we had seen in class. We had to write about 4 of those, then review 2 outside plays and finally our Final Project/ Paper about a specific topic we were to chose. For example how women were portrayed in macbeth and how changing their characters would change how the audience felt about macbeth.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I did not have any problems because all of CAPA's classes have ASU equivalencies and are automatically transferred for London, Dublin, Sydney, and Beijing.