I'm a Cambridge Woman! Past Review

By Danielle M (Chemistry and English, Rice University) for

IFSA: Cambridge - England Study Abroad Program at Pembroke College

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was definitely worthwhile! It showed me a lot of what it means to not only be an American, but also how we have such an Isolationist attitude. I realized how to better understand things from a global perspective by seeing it from another viewpoint.

Personal Information

The term and year this program took place:	Summer 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The program's administration was very helpful. The communication was not always good, but it did not effect how the program was ran in a big way, just in a minor, detailed way.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	I lived on Fitzwilliam Street in Pembroke College's hostels. I had my own room in a house of seven others, we shared a kitchen and bathrooms. A sink was in each room (although some rooms did have personal bathrooms), there were windows, and overall a very comfortable living situation. <br /><br /> It was a safe location, within very close walking distance to King's (5-7 minutes) and Pembroke (3-5 minutes) colleges. The area was safe, and also very close to pubs, clubs, and the town center with theaters, shopping, etc. (Again, about 5 minutes walking).
* Food:	It was usually pretty good. Meat and vegetarian options, as well as sandwiches, etc.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Very good; I wish we were provided with more opportunities to interact with locals, but overall the trips and social events were fun, well planned, varied, and frequent.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

Finances

* 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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	No more than 20 pounds. However, I ended up spending a lot more on non-essentials like going out for tea, going to the theater, shopping, traveling, etc. I cannot put a weekly budget on that because it varied from week to week, and most of it was not necessary, but more touristy.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Although the public transport was amazing, I didn't realize how expensive it was going to be.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	Fluent
Language acquisition improvement?	English is my native language, so I did not see much if any improvement.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Other
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Do it! It was such a great experience! Also, it is very easy to just stick with your fellow American students. That is fine, but make sure you go out and meet people and experience the culture, because even though it may seem similar, England and the US are vastly different.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Drugs and the Mind: Why do people get addicted?
Course Department:
Instructor:	Dr. Zultan Sarnyai
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was a great course; difficult but definitely worth the effort. The lecturer was very knowledgeable and very helpful if students were struggling.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I don't know yet.

Course Name/Rating:	Reading Shakespeare
Course Department:
Instructor:	Dr. George Yeats
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was a great course; the lecturer provided an interesting and knowledgeable persepective on the subject.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No.

Course Name/Rating:	100 Years of Spooks and Spies: US and UK Intelligence Agencies
Course Department:
Instructor:	Dr. Martland and Dr. Craig
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	It was a very interesting course, with knowledgeable professors and we went on a field trip to Bletchley Park.
Credit Transfer Issues:	I don't know yet.