A Brandesian goes to SOAS Past Review
By A student (Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/01/2013 to 05/22/2013 with
IFSA: London - School of Oriental and African Studies
I gained exposure to a range of different cultures.
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. |
I was not overly impressed by the intellectual rigor of SOAS. Quite frankly, there was not a great deal of intellectual diversity. The common denominator of the school was fixated on certain catch-phrases, that were used so often by Professors and students alike their meanings were diluted and I failed to see their relevance. They included: "post-modernism" (whatever that means), post-colonialism and orientalism. That being said, the SOAS library's Near East section was second to none. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I was enamored by IFSA-Butler. They did not treat us like children and provided ample free-space. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I enjoyed living off-campus with my flat-mates. |
| * Food: |
The food was expensive, but there was not much that could have been done considering London is not cheap by any means. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Although I enjoyed the Brits' dry wit, at times I felt anti-American sentiment. Then again, that may have had more to do with the politics of SOAS than anything else. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
With the exception of one or two colds, I thankfully didn't have any health issues. |
| * Safety: |
When I arrived in London, everyone at the IFSA-Butler orientation stressed the prevalence of pick-pocketers. However, over the six months I was in the UK, I never felt endangered. London was very safe. |
| 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 a very expensive city! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Although it would vary from week to week, I would estimate $150. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Learn how to cook before going abroad! |
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? | I wish I appreciated the challenges of navigating a new city. |
