Abroad in London: An Experience you will never regret. Past Review
By Ryan T (English, Trinity University) for
IFSA: London - Queen Mary, University of London
I really learned what it is like to experience the English culture. I honestly made a home for myself in London through the relationships I formed and the memories I made while living there. Learning a foreign city, and one as big as London, is really an accomplishment and it taught me that I have it in me to really go anywhere.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload is very manageable as long as you block out your own time to do readings, because there is a lot of free time. The classes are very discussion based, and your input is important to the function of the class as a whole. Classes are much more informal, so your voice and perspective is important to the discussion. In some seminars you will be expected to lead a class period. The grading system is terrifying at first, because their system of marks is much lower in value, ie a B is in the 60's range, so that can be intimidating. Also, the citation and format of the papers is different from our MLA, and submission of each essay is done on-line as well as dropped in the English department. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The IFSA-Butler team was great. They gave advice about every aspect of being abroad from where to eat, where to travel and fun things to do in London that the tourists wouldn't do. Emailing and calling was always a sure-fire way to reach the team, and dropping by their office is really easy as well, as it is just a few minutes' walk from the Notting Hill Gate tube station. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The on-campus housing is really nice. You get your own room and bathroom, and there is a shared kitchen within each flat. You definitely need bedding, cookware and towels etc. Each kitchen has two ovens, two stove-tops and two sinks. You live with seven or eight other people, and many of them will local, so they may be willing to share cookware. Queen Mary is in the East End of London, which is a predominately Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian community, and it is a little rough around the edges, but I never felt unsafe while there. Since the housing is on-campus class is just a short walk. There are a ton of Indian restaurants and there is a club on campus called Drapers that has specials every Monday night. There is also a pub next to campus called the New Globe that has QMUL students night every Thursday. You live with first year students, but you will have class with second and third year students, so there is a lot of opportunity to get to know all different types of people. |
| * Food: |
You make your own meals, and there is a Sainsbury's (a supermarket) about ten minutes from campus as well as a Tesco, CO-OP and Budgens within five minutes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program arranged a trip to Wales that was a great time overall. I would recommend the full-day hike as an activity because you get to see great scenery and experience the Welsh countryside. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I didn't experience and serious health issues. I always felt safe in London. There were a few instances where some individuals were acting strange and hostile on the Tube so I simply got off the train and waited for the next one. The best thing to do is to be aware of where you and your belongings are in the city. Just pay attention to your environment. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I would say I spent about 80 to 100 dollars a week. This includes grocery shopping as well as going out to eat and drink. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Travel expenses are shocking at first, because each round trip on the tube costs about 4 pounds. Just be sure that your home bank or credit card provider has a steady and reasonable international transaction fee. Also, look out for student discounts, and don't spend money on ridiculous tourist attractions, but instead go do free things in the city. Get a good guide book and use that as well as TimeOut London to help you find cheap things to do. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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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? | A student who needs additional support and guidance while abroad would really benefit from this program. In retrospect I think I would have preferred to directly enroll at QMUL, but IFSA-Butler did provide good resources and improved my abroad experience. |
