The best 5 months of my life! Past Review
By Kerry Wetter (Hofstra University) - abroad from 01/10/2018 to 06/07/2018 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): London - The London Semester
It was 100% worthwhile. I gained a confidents I had never had before going abroad. I was constantly pushed out of my comfort zone in the best way possible. I learned how to help myself.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were longer, and only once a week. There was a big push for independent study, which taught me time management, and also gave me more time to have an out-of-class experience. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Easy to contact. Were very hands on, planning trips for us and small get-togethers! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a co-ed sweet of 10. I had my own room and bathroom and shared a kitchen that was cleaned once a week! |
| * Food: |
Expensive, but delicious. A lot of places close earlier than in America. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt like I had lived there for years after only a few months, and did not want to leave. I am hoping to live there somewhere down the line. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The health insurance I had unfortunately only worked at the local ER, which was always a long wait. The health clinic on campus was pretty expensive, but I was never turned away. |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This experience was one I will never forget! CISabroad was amazing in the application process, and went above and beyond while I was overseas. There were excursions included in the tuition, and the small group of CIS students became a small family. I had the privilege of traveling to 8 different countries in a short 5 month period, and was immersed in culture. I made friends that will last a lifetime, and was able to live on my own in a foreign setting. |
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) |
Personally, I had a lot of money saved for study abroad so this wasn't as awful as it could have been. But I did find that cost of living in London was a lot more expensive than I was used to. It is all about balance, when everyone else was out to eat every night, I had to learn how to cook! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably around $100 a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Before you go abroad, only purchase the necessities. As you will find, a plane ticket to Italy, once you're in Europe, is around the same price as a new pair of boots, and obviously the boots can wait. Also, when it comes to food, give yourself 2-3 nights where you go out, and stay home and cook the other nights. Try to resist the shopping urges, because if those extra bucks means 1 or 2 extra countries you'll get to visit, you won't be sorry. |
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? | The cost of transportation within the city adds up real fast. And it is important to realize the difference in currency, because it is easy to forget and overspend. |
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. |
