It was tough at times, but it's so worth it to experience something new and exciting! Past Review
By Jenna L (Public Relations/Communications, Towson University) for
ISA Study Abroad in London, England
absolutely. its made me a better person and its opened up a lot of new doors for me.
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. |
Workload is nothing like the US. I felt like I had a lot of free time to go explore, sightsee, and travel. It was easy to get the assignments completed on time. The grading system is different and they use different ways of grading, but it equals out to the same as the US. The teachers didn't really explain much or teach. Most of the time they had other people come in and teach the class while they sat there and did other work. The US educational system is much more serious and more strict. There is a lot more work per semester in the US compared to London. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ISA program was very helpful and they did a lot of activities to get the students involved. They planned a lot of excursions throughout the semester which were a lot of fun and interesting to learn about. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were horrendous. They were so small and there was no heat, which was a problem since it's so cold all the time in London. |
| * Food: |
food is awful in london. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All of the excursions that we went on were really cool and we got to see some things that we wouldn't have gotten to if we were with a program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
DIdn't feel safe off of campus most of the time. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Money definitely got tight at the end. It was hard to accept the fact that things were almost double the price in the UK compared to the US. Money literally seemed to just fly out of the window. Overall I spent about $4,500 for the 3 months. I would say 60 pound would be a reasonable price for groceries per every 2 weeks, especially if you eat out for 1 meal a day like I did. It was a lot easier and much more convenient to eat out than making your own food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't spend all of your money in the beginning, because things might come up at the end that you want to do and you should save your money as best you can. Clubs get expensive and you could spend up at 100 pound just at the club for one night. |
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? | it's definitely worth it and a once in a lifetime experience. I don't regret going and this opportunity is going to open up a lot of other opportunities as well for my future. Someone who doesn't have an issue with money or being away from their family would be best suited for this experience. |
