Girl Gone London: Adjusting to Life in the City Past Review
By Victoria Moran (Harvey Mudd College) - abroad from 01/07/2019 to 06/07/2019 with
IFSA: London - University College London
I learned the value of adaptability and appreciated the diversity of cultures. After studying abroad, I now have a much broader perspective and worldview. It was absolutely worthwhile, and I hope to live abroad for another period of my life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It was difficult to get help or feedback throughout the semester. Though I learned a decent amount, much of it was simply through studying for finals. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
IFSA did a great job helping us get accustomed to London! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Food in London is expensive and English food is a bit disappointing :( |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to urgent care and was extremely surprised that it was free. It did take really long to see someone, however. |
| * Safety: |
I generally felt safe walking around the city and taking public transportation, even late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Though many little things bothered me, I can confidently say I loved my experience overall! |
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? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to cook meals as often as possible and freeze food that may go bad quickly (especially because expiration dates in London were much sooner than in America). |
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 knew that I had to make more of an effort to immerse myself into local communities. During my time abroad, I became complacent with mainly hanging out with other American students. If I could change anything, I would try harder to befriend locals and keep in touch. |
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. |
