8 Weeks in London, the Global City Past Review
By Frankie S (Public Relations, Advertising, Applied Communication, Purdue University) - abroad from 05/18/2015 to 07/10/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
Besides gaining what you're actually there for (great work experience that relates to your major and class credit), I really gained confidence and independence. Learning to navigate a foreign city, adapting to a culture, meeting new people, things like cooking for yourself and traveling to other countries - it really requires planning, organization, and the want to succeed!! It's a growing experience that nothing else can even come close to replacing.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I was enrolled in one class during my eight weeks in London, but we had the choice of two. Each were 3 credits each. My class was called Exploring the Global City, so we got to explore London for some of our class time and later write analytical papers about our experience. We also had 2 presentations throughout the course. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CAPA was where our classes were held, as well as things like meetings to get us acquainted with the city and basically the 411 of living in London! The staff is simply amazing, always willing to help you. They planned day trips to big London sights (even other places in England) so we were able to fit as much as we could into our 8 weeks. They also had helpful classes like "How to live for cheap in London." |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved living with 8 people from my home university. There was plenty of room to yourself, and also areas where everyone could be together. |
| * Food: |
We were on our own for food, but our living arrangement was moments away from the nearest grocery store. We used that as a bonding and learning experience. My flatmates and I would get dinner at the store and come back to cook it. I felt very independent during my time there and I loved that aspect of it! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
At first it definitely came as a struggle to not look like a total tourist, but thats all part of the experience. It was fun learning, even if it was sometimes the hard way. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, there are people who expect this and are willing to help you every step of the way (CAPA staff). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Personally, I had no health issues during my time in London. But at the first meeting, CAPA fully addressed what our options were if a problem like this came up. One of my roommates acquired a very bad blister that got infected, and she knew exactly where to go and what to do because CAPA prepped us for something like this. |
| * Safety: |
Being cautious is something you have to do from the start. Small things like carrying your bag close to you, always having it zipped, just always being aware. That's sensible for any city you're walking around in. I felt very safe inside of my flat. I was not the biggest fan of walking around at night around where I lived. I would have to be in a big group if I wanted to do 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 an expensive city to begin with. You are forced to find the cheap loop holes. A lot of the fun touristy things are expensive for that exact reason. Food was expensive, but if you buy in bulk in the beginning of the week, you learn to plan your budget. Upon returning home, my wallet was definitely a lot lighter than when I arrived...you just need to prepare yourself and have a plan of what you WANT to buy. Going out to eat a few times during the week really adds up. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around $80 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | -Buy food you can use for the whole week (bags of pasta, oatmeal) -Always show your student ID; a lot of places offer discounts for that in Europe! -If there is a grocery store you think seems expensive, there's probably a cheaper one elsewhere. We would walk a few extra blocks just to get the cheap groceries...it's worth it! |
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? | -How expensive it would be -That you cannot see Paris in one weekend -All the cheap hot spots that we found out about half way through the trip |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
