Yes it is worth it. Choose your program carefully. August 30, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses I took at UCL was structured like a typical UK undergraduate course. I had one to three major assignments that made up my grade, and homework was largely reading based and due over a longer period of time. I think most Americans will be surprised by how much easier european undergraduate courses are compared to american undergraduate courses just because so few aspects of a course is graded. The quality of instructors varied widely between my courses. My social anthropology professor and TA were good, my classical studies professor was amazing, and my two management instructors were not very good.

On-site administration of your program

I did not have to access UCL administration very much except to figure out why I did not have email access when I should already have, and why it didn't say I was enrolled in my courses until after they started.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

IFSA placed me and a few other kids in a UniteStudents house a thirty minute walk from campus that was not listed as an option for housing, that also cost more than the most expensive listed option. IFSA also had us rank order our preferences for housing and told us where we were going to be staying a week or two before going, while apparently Arcadia let you just choose your house. I would rate this lower, but I actually liked Camden because it was close to the things I wanted to do in London.

I made my own food, which is the typical set up of UK dorms. I've heard from a UCL friend that the dining halls regularly spread norovirus for a period of time. Groceries were pricier than what I was used to, and the way I shopped had to change because I could only buy as much as I could reasonably carry back to the dorms.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I went to a lot of concerts and rock night club nights and met a lot of regular people there. I did not really interact with anyone from my classes because a lot of people (not me) would skip classes anyway. I went to a karting club event but they were not a very friendly crowd. I had an old childhood friend who happened to be doing a graduate program at UCL and also lived in Camden so I hung out with him and his friends and learned a lot about UK hip hop culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have to access healthcare but I can't skip this rating.

I heard quite a few stories about american students getting their phones stolen. It's best to keep your phone in your pocket and only look at it if you really need to. Also, don't leave your phone on a table while you're sitting. Talking loudly will also let everyone know you're an american. I give a 50% for safety because I had a few mugging attempts. Though that was because I would walk back to my dorm through Camden at 4 am while on substances. They never succeeded though because they give up given a little resistance.

The general consensus is that for London, Arcadia is the better option. IFSA did not do a very good job of getting all the IFSA kids together whereas Arcadia did. Arcadia let their students choose housing and courses a lot easier and told them the final details a lot quicker. The IFSA person in charge of the UCL program literally quit like two days before the program started.

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

Under this prompt is this: "(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)" I spent a little over 100 USD a week on groceries and personal expenses. I do not eat much and the food I prepare can be prepared very cheaply. Restaurants are expensive but I would always go in a larger group to spread the cost better. Drinks are expensive but I do not need much to get drunk. Tickets to gigs were affordable and I avoided hetero nightclubs so I did not have to pay those higher prices.

Select all that apply

• Dorm
• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans

Select all that apply

• Local Students

• Left me own devices
• Responded to my emails
• The portal was easy to use

• Housing Selection
• Course Selection
• Organization