Everything you need to study & intern in London Past Review
By Olivia Winters (University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh) - abroad from 01/10/2019 to 04/17/2019 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: London, England
This opportunity provided me with invaluable experience and challenged me to look at the world through an intercultural lens. Along with learning more about marketing, I gained insight into other cultures while abroad. Through my discussions with my colleagues and my weekend travels to other countries, I have developed a love for exploring new cultures. I equally enjoyed my weekends in London, which were often spent taking in the iconic sites and exploring new areas of the city. Due to the timing of my program, I have also learned a great deal about Brexit.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
CAPA was able to fulfill my roommate request, so I lived in London with my best friend from home. Our flat was on the smaller size, but we lived comfortably with a shared bedroom/living space, bathroom, and kitchen. It was in a safe, convenient, central location and even had a weekly cleaning service. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had plenty of time and opportunity to explore London and even other areas of England. CAPA took us on a few tours and excursions throughout the semester, which was incredible. I was also able to intern with a UK company which made me feel more integrated. However, my classmates were all American. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I pulled a muscle in my chest and ended up having to go to the doctor in London. I was able to quickly make an appointment and my health care covered the cost. I paid up front, submitted a claim online, and was fully reimbursed a few months later. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Very appreciative my semester with CAPA. I studied abroad in London in spring 2019 and it was extremely helpful to have my housing, transportation, courses, and internship sorted out before arriving. They were able to fulfill my roommate request, so I was fortunate enough to live with my best friend in West Kensington. While it wasn't the biggest flat, the two of us lived very comfortably and even had a weekly cleaning service. It was a safe and convenient location in central London, plus the CAPA emergency/safety app helped me feel more at ease. The CAPA staff in London were available on site to offer assistance with classes and internships, important resources such as how to set up our phone plans, and recommendations of their favorite places. We also had the opportunity to go on some tours and excursions - most memorable were my trips to Oxford and Stonehenge & Bath. My courses and (guaranteed!) internship were aligned with my academic and professional goals. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75/week on food and other expenses in London, more during weeks where I went on trips to nearby countries |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | While eating at pubs and markets is awesome, cooking at home is a great money saver. Try not to spend too much money on drinks, clothes, etc and save for traveling and touring instead! |
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 that my classmates would be American. However, I ended up creating friendships with other Pitt students on my program and was able to maintain them once we were home. |
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. |
