Miranda Sees the World: London 2016 Past Review
By Miranda Abbott (Wagner College) - abroad from 01/09/2016 to 05/25/2016 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): London - Semester at the University of Westminster
My time abroad was honestly the best 6 months of my life (thus far). I was able to learn how to be independent and to adapt to different situations. Being in London gave me so many opportunities that any other location would not have been able to provide. I learned so much about myself and a lot about others as well. My time in London also taught me to be appreciative of what I have at home and at my home university. It was the most thrilling and worthwhile experience of my life.
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 found the classes that I took to be reasonable. The coursework was not too difficult and definitely manageable. I did not enjoy the minimal grades throughout the semester (only one or two that averaged to a final score). I also found the professors to be fairly unengaged and aloof. Some of my professors were incapable of explaining in more than one way and often students couldn't grasp their way of thinking; some professors made no effort to get to know the students they were teaching. |
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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? |
Living in Alexander-Fleming was great. The rooms were sufficient and the kitchen was great. My only complaint is that I had to walk up 3 flights of stairs to get to my flat. I was also lucky to have a newly renovated flat, whereas others did not. |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself or ate out, so it was perfectly fine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being in Shoreditch it was easy to integrate into the local culture with other students. However, it was very difficult to actually interact with local people, as they weren't the friendliest. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally did not have any issues with healthcare, however one of my friends did and I experienced the entire scenario with her. Our program provider had protocol for handling health issues and made it fairly simple. The issue that we ran into was that we were not on the National Health Service and therefore weren't entitled to certain types of care. In some instances, people were forced to go to the emergency room instead of a GP due to this fact. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very comfortable being in London. The area in which we lived felt incredibly safe and comfortable. The area in which we went to school also felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CISAbroad gave enough support in-country to keep us all connected and safe while also allowing us to do our own thing. Regina Tingle and Anna Bermani kept us well informed and safe even when we were traipsing around Europe. My biggest issues were results of my own choices (class wise). |
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) |
I decided before I went abroad that I would not skimp on spending while abroad. I found it fairly easy to live within my means in terms of food and shopping. For weekly spending, the only issues were the increased cost of living in London and the conversion. The big money spenders were transport (I had unlimited Tube for 2 1/2 months) and travel (collectively I spent about 2 months traveling). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $125 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are going to use the Tube or bus often, get the student oyster card online and get the unlimited pass for the "odd period" online. It will easily pay for itself. |
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 that I knew to savor those first few moments, because after all the firsts, the lasts come by really quick. |
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. |
