London: An Enjoyable Challenge of Culture, Not Academics Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My classes were for general 2nd year students (U.S. juniors), not specific to study abroad students. The classes were more than manageable; 3 out of 4 were easy. The workload was quite light: typically just a great deal of reading, which I had plenty of time to do. There was very little classroom instruction time; I only spent 8 hours a week in a classroom. There were almost no homework assignments outside of reading. The British system is highly independent, focusing more on the final piece of work than the journey along the way. I prefer the American system; I feel it challenges me more. Furthermore, because I do more work, I get more feedback, and this allows me to learn more and to more efficiently hone my skills.

On-site administration of your program

Orientation schedule was hard to follow and confusing, since we were unfamiliar with the labyrinthine layout of the building. Presenters seemed nice enough, but were not particularly helpful in their information. The presentation on writing was absolutely useless, and not accurate; I followed the writing directions to a t and did terribly on my papers. I would have been better using my own instincts.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My location could not have been better; I was within 10 minutes' walking distance of my campus, right off the Strand. Accommodation was pretty good; the rooms were small, but I loved having the privacy of a single. I wish we had had a common area or a lounge on our floor where it would have been easier to socialize with otherwise in our building.

Food was not provided; I cooked for myself. Luckily, there was a grocery store in very close walking distance.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My program did a fantastic job of integrating us and checking up on us to make sure we were adjusting well. I absolutely loved our weekend trip to Wales through Butler; it thrust us all in to a local culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never felt unsafe the entire time I was in London (ironic now, in light of all the rioting that has been taking place. Knowing that guns were rare and that CCTV was on every street corner really made me feel that most petty crime was not an issue. My neighborhood in London (Waterloo and Westminster) are affluent and safe, so I never feared for my personal safety, even at night. I am used to living in the South Bronx, which has gangs, guns, and plenty of violent crime. I never walk alone at night in my neighborhood at home; living in my area of London really spoiled me. Health care wasn't too much of an issue. I had to refill prescription medicines while abroad and it wasn't too difficult. Students should, however, be sure to leave enough time (2 weeks or so) to take care of seeing a physician, getting a prescription, and having that prescription filled. My medications were actually cheaper without insurance than they are with insurance at home.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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• International Students
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