Interning and Living in London; The Global City Past Review
By Kyle D (Accounting, Siena College) - abroad from 09/02/2015 to 12/11/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
I learned to respect cultures that are different from my own. I also learned that I need to always act as a positive ambassador of the United States to help bridge misconceptions that people of other cultures have of us.
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. |
If you are looking to only take classes, I recommend studying abroad at a university in London, not with a study abroad only program, like CAPA. Classes are immersed in study abroad. Students can take theater classes that include excursions to see plays and tour theaters on the West End. Additionally, the Analyzing and Exploring London class allows students to gain first-hand knowledge of the issues Londoners have been faced with past and present. Living conditions are far superior to those of other students living in London. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
One way in which I feel that CAPA can improve their program would be to increase communication with students prior to their departure from the United States for London. I really feel like I had no clue what exactly the program entailed until I was there. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Apartments are spacious and are cleaned once a week by a cleaning service. I had the opportunity to live in Camden Town, a bustling center of counter culture. There was always something to do; there is access to eateries, a supermarket, a pharmacy, a cell phone service, and the infamous Camden Market is right around the corner. |
| * Food: |
Aside from fish and chips, England lacks a national cuisine. However, there are many options in London try food from other cultures since it is a global city. Food is cheap if you cook for yourself. It is expensive to go out to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Participating in CAPA's internship program is vital to one's cultural immersion in London. The social life in London was great. There is plenty of time to explore the pubs and go clubbing on the weekends. The CAPA London student council puts on great social events, such as a boat party on the River Thames. I met some great friends through my time at CAPA London. Due to the fact that students live and take classes with other American students, aside from interacting professors and those you meet on the street, the relationships students form with their coworkers will be their best exposure to British culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not interact with healthcare personnel. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe thanks to the UK's strict border control policies. Additionally, during the Paris attacks, CAPA reached out to all of its students to ensure that they were safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
If I were to study abroad in London, I would go with CAPA because of the valuable internship experience and the fact that classes were deeply rooted in London life and study abroad in general. |
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) |
You definitely need to budget your money, spend it wisely, and make money the summer before studying abroad in London. Living in London is very expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pay attention to emails from CAPA. They provide many deals for students to do all they want to do in London. |
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? | 10+ |
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 more specifics as to what exactly I would be doing once in London prior to more than two weeks before departing the United States. |
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! |
