Living the Dream in London Past Review
By Carolyn M (University of North Carolina - Asheville) - abroad from 05/20/2014 to 07/04/2014 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
I learned so much about the film industry which is what I want to build a career in. I was able to study while also gaining valuable perspective and work experience in my field and practice my communication skills at events while meeting locals. I was able to explore London and gain confidence and independence as a person. This trip was completely worthwhile and helped me become who I am.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Courses were almost always well organized and professors were enlightening and engaging with great real world stories! One professor was unclear about how much reading we were required to complete but other than that everything well organized. Courses were rigorous with interesting assignments and relevant paper topics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Staff were nearly always available, efficient and helpful in a pinch with a vast knowledge of the city to help students in need. Administrators were organized and knew what the students wanted to see in programming and brought it to life whenever they could. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Camden Town in London and I loved the area in Camden. This part of the city is perfect for college students studying abroad and is full of culture as well as close to large parks and museums for easy access. My only complaint was that there was significant construction going on in front of my building for the majority of my stay that was very loud during the day time. |
| * Food: |
There are so many options for food in London, everyone can find something they like from Pub food to modern Asian fusion to fantastic Indian food! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Through my internship, I was able to meet many London locals and get to know what was going on in the city. This helped me feel integrated into the way of life. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
London is a safe place as long as you keep your wits about you. Just use common sense and don't travel alone at night if you can help it. I didn't encounter any problems while I was abroad. |
| 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
London is very expensive because of the exchange rate. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200$ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy groceries! You can save so much money by making at least some of your own food! Also go to museums as excursions, most are free! Check out websites with free or inexpensive activities for students. For London, check out the slackers club for discounted student movie tickets! It is a great way to see movies on the cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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 kept a more consistent journal of my experiences on a day to day basis. |
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 NetworkerAn 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: |
British Broadcasting Today |
| Course Department: | Communications |
| Instructor: | Kirsty Allison |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was challenging but also a lot of fun! The teacher was knowledgeable about Broadcast and also talked a lot about radio and film in Britain. She was usually well prepared for class. I participated more often than I would have at my home institution. The teacher assigned papers and class presentations as our grades for the class. No tests or quizzes were given and homework was always connected to a presentation or paper. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Learning Through Internships |
| Course Department: | Internship |
| Instructor: | Jon Travers |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was challenging and gave students the chance to share their experiences in different internships while abroad in an open forum style. There were no field trips because the internships themselves were all around the city. The teacher was extremely knowledgeable and always prepared. I participated in class much more than at my home institution. We were assessed using presentations about out respective internship experiences and papers. We were not tested or given quizzes. This course was a really great resource to organize my thoughts about the British workplace and reflect on my experiences. |
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