The Greatest Decision of My Life Past Review
By Lauren M (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., Westminster College, PA) - abroad from 09/03/2013 to 12/14/2013 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experiences in London were definitely some of the greatest of my life. I learned so much not just about other people and cultures but also about myself and my own culture. Personally, I became more confident, more self-assured, and more independent. I saw that I could take care of myself and survive in the world. I was challenged to adapt and deal with problems on my own. I was able to garner a new understanding of the world and global relations. It's truly impossible to put into words how deeply my study abroad experience affected me. It was easily the best decision I have ever made and I would do it again in a heart beat.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
While I was abroad I was fortunate enough not to have any health issues but I knew that the CAPA program would help me navigate the system if I needed and they had prepared us with basic information in case we ran into a health issue. |
* Safety: |
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If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 20 pounds/ 35 dollars |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Avoid using credit/debit cards. Most likely your bank will charge you fees for using them overseas and after a while they can start to add up. Also, go to the store every week and get snacks for the rest of the week. I would get things that I could take with me while I was |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
* 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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
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* What could be improved? |
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* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I truly felt that I was as prepared as I could be. Prior to departure, I received weekly emails from CAPA with facts about different aspects of London such as language, food, culture, politics, etc. It gave me a background to the place where I was going so that when I got there I understood a lot more than I would have thought. Obviously it was impossible to be 100% prepared for every situation that I encountered, after all I was still in a foreign country, but I never felt so uncomfortable or out of the loop that I was angry at the program for not preparing me. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
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