Living La Vida London Past Review
By cassie n (Journalism., University of Missouri - Columbia) - abroad from 01/07/2014 to 04/25/2014 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
I gained so much life experience. It broadened my worldview and helped my realize what I want to do after graduation. It awaken the travel bug inside of me. I came home with amazing memories, new friends, work experience, and a new home away from home.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The Mizzou London experience is different from other universities because you don't pick your classes and you are with the other Mizzou students. One of your classes is with a Mizzou Professor that comes along with you abroad and the other is with a British Professor. The Mizzou Professor took us to a bunch of PR, Advertising, Magazine and News agency which was a great way to network. The British class was called British Life and Culture and I loved the class, it was like a field trip every week to places around London! However, both classes were not challenging so if you are looking for a rigorous course load, the intern program might not be for you. |
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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? |
I loved living in the neighborhood of Camden, it was perfect for young travelers and our flat was super nice. The only downside was the beds were awful and you could feel the springs in your back, but besides that it was a modern apartment that we wouldn't have been able to afford otherwise. |
| * Food: |
The first week we were there my friends and I claimed we were on a diet because food was so expensive, but that quickly ended. The food in London is great if you know where to find it. From crepes in Hampstead, to The Diner, Borough Market, and so much more we came home with our jeans a little snug. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
If it wasn't for my internship I wouldn't have felt integrated with the culture. I left feeling like London was home but I didn't have a bunch of British friends or anything like that. I felt like a Londoner but still hung out with Americans. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
London is safe as long as you take precautions. Make sure your bag is in front of you and not behind and be smart about pickpockets. When it comes to other crimes I had no problem with violence, being disrespected or anything like that. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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 expensive. I have worked since I was a sophomore at Mizzou and I depleted my whole bank account by the time I left London. Traveling is expensive but if you budget yourself $200 a week and $500 per weekend trip you should be fine. Just remember it's cheaper to travel from London to Paris than it ever will be to travel from the U.S. to Paris. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150-$200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I worked at Kohl's so I was making minimum wage but I saved for an entire year before leaving on the program. I made sure to put half of each paycheck in my savings with the mindset of "would you rather buy that dress here, or use that money on a night out in Prague?" |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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 wish I knew how fast it was going to go by. Once spring break passed time literally disappeared. I miss London every single day and although there was only a handful of days that I wasn't out taking advantage of London I wish I would've utilized those days for fun experiences as well. |
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 UrbaniteA 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: |
British Life and Culture |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Richard Maguire |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class made such good use of the location and offered field trips almost weekly. We went to Brick Lane for curry, had a tour of Wembley arena, walked the Southbank, toured Greenwich on a riverboat, and so much more. Because of this class I saw so much more of London than I would've on my own and Richard is a fabulous instructor. Highly recommend. |
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