London: You'll Never Want To Leave Past Review
By A student (Politics, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/04/2014 to 06/14/2014 with
IFSA: London - University College London
I learned how to live on my own and in a big city from my experience abroad. I also realized there is such a big world out there for me to conquer and explore. There are so many different cultures and people to meet. London is a multicultural city with a amazing identity and people. Not to mention my classes as well. I was able to take classes that weren't offered by Brandeis, and open my eyes to a subject the I really enjoyed and wish to learn more about. My experience abroad was amazing, I didn't want to go back to America.
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. |
It was tough to get used to the English way of teaching and writing essays. Very individualistic-Much of the work you do on your own not in class, but I enjoyed it this way. Courses weren't too hard but not too easy. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Again its a country-specific problem but UCL and its departments were good in some cases but bad in others. It took forever to receive grades and essays back. Administration was helpful in figuring out what classes to take and how to sign up for them. Professors and Administration was very easy to contact and keep in touch with. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was great. I lived in a single with plenty of room. A large closet was great for the amount of clothes I had. Desk and drawers were perfect size for laptop and to do homework. Sink and mirror in my room was also a plus. Also each floor had a kitchen for cooking. Only negatives was no wi-fi in the dorm and food being stolen from fridge. |
| * Food: |
Was on the meal plan in the dorm and it was horrible. Food did not taste good and sometimes I was not able to eat it. Breakfast was acceptable, but needed salt and pepper most of the time. Usually enjoyed or fully ate my dinner only once a week. Outside of the dorm food was good. Many healthy options and I would usually cook on the weekends. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated with the local culture. I became friends with many of the students who go to UCL full-time. Spent many afternoons and weekends exploring London or in Camden and Regents Park. Enjoyed the Pubs and also went to many of football (soccer) games while I was there. The fans and atmosphere were amazing. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Most I got was a cold while I was there, and I would say it was because of lack of sleep. UCL helped up sign up with the school health system/office which was easy to do. I did not need any specific vaccines for my program and no prevalent health issues happened in London while I was there. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in London. I would always recommend students to walk with a group of friends at night, especially if you are drinking. Watch out for pickpockets. I was never pickpocketed but a few people I knew were. |
| 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. If you want to study abroad there save money for a while. You will easily spend $200+ a week on food and personal expenses. If you want to experience London and Europe and what it has to offer $200+ is normal. I would say around $300-350 was normal for myself, but I was also enjoying my time there. If I was to stay in my dorm all the time I could survive on $100. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $350 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Whenever you can eat in your dorm or cook in your dorm do it. Going out to eat or getting fast food gets expensive. Buying groceries and cooking in your dorm saves lots of money that you can use to have awesome experiences in London and travel through Europe. |
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? | How much it was going to cost to live in London. I save plenty and was in no trouble of going broke, but I underestimated how much I was going to spend per week |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
