Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

London, my wonderful time in a bustling international city. Past Review

By (Political Science And International Studies, Clark University - Worcester) - abroad from 01/15/2014 to 04/26/2014 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about other cultures. Both from the British people I met in London as well as other international travelers I met whilst abroad. My trip was completely worthwhile. The reason I did not give my experience in London a perfect 10 is because of my schooling. Had I done a different program that allowed study with local students my program would've been flawless.

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.

CAPA London Centre is too small for the amount of students present. The first thingthat needs to be eexpanded is the computer lab.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was arranged by my University, not by CAPA.

* Food:

London has quite the eclectic mix of food to choose from!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

If it were not for my internship I don't think I would've been exposed to any British culture. Living with fellow American students and having half of the CAPA staff by Americans while taking courses with exclusively Americans did not help me feel culturally integrated in the slightest.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Health care is free in England. I never had to use it, but my friends did and said it was painless and easy.

* Safety:

Living in central London there were always people around, no matter the hour. I almost always felt completely safe, including on public transit alone at night

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

London is very very expensive.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Usually around $300 a week.

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 aspect
* What could be improved?
  • The physical school's lack of space
  • The lack of intermingling with locals
  • between ccourses and internship, there is not enough free time to travel or have time during the week to explore the city
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That meeting locals would be something I would only have time to do on my own accord on weekends due to always being with Americans during my fully scheduledweeks of school and iinternship hours.

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:

Citizenship and Gender in Modern Europe
Course Department: Political science
Instructor: Joy Frith
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very rigorous and challenging course, but in the best ways possible! Professor Frith is so knowledgeable and makes the material so much more fascinating through her in depth lectures to class participation segments. Easily one of my favorite courses ever, not just abroad. A definite must!
Credit Transfer Issues: