There's no place like London. Past Review
By Sarian H (HSSP, Theater, Politics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/01/2014 to 06/10/2014 with
IFSA: London - King's College London
It was wonderful to experience a city I'd been wanting to visit for years. I loved the culture, and the actual experience of living in Central London. I gained a real sense of confidence and comfort, and it was totally worthwhile.
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. |
The classes were interesting and challenging, on a similar level to my home university, and similar content was offered so that I was able to transfer credits over. I didn't use KCL's study abroad office very much, but IFSA was very helpful when I had questions. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The people in the London IFSA-Butler office were fabulous! Really nice, really helpful, easily reachable. Orientation was super informative, trips were fun, and they had parties for us every so often. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Pretty typical student living. Fabulous location, but the building had some quirks- laundry was expensive, and not super convenient, building administration was kinda persnickity, but overall, good. |
| * Food: |
There was no meal plan, so it was either what I cooked for myself, or going out to eat. Things could be kind of expensive, but not unreasonable and the cuisine was familiar. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It's not that unlike American culture, so it was pretty easy to blend in and adapt. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't use the NHS, but the pharmacists were helpful when I got bronchitis, and those I knew who went to the campus clinic were generally pleased with the outcome. |
| * Safety: |
About average for a large metropolitan area. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
London is an expensive city, and the exchange rate was not in our favor. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 70 or 80 pounds, depending on if I went grocery shopping that week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a budget the first week or so, once you get a feel for how much things cost, and try to stick to it. Don't eat out every night, and don't waste a lot of money on clubs or alcohol. Pubs are a nicer environment and cheaper than clubs. Don't freak out if you go a little over budget. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | London is a really expensive city. |
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! |
