A Learning Filled London Experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The grading system and work load is very different over in Great Britain. Their true average is a C so in order to get an A you must do exceptionally well. Also their work load is based more on essays and individual work rather than graded tests. I took two classes while I was there one called London and Its Literature and one called British Culture and Society. They integrated field trips into about half of our class time and also gave us two four day weekends so that we could travel on the weekends. Our classes were twice a week and often included excursions to London and other sites around London like Stonehenge, Bath and Parliament. They had classes in anything from international business to live theater so the variety gave students a chance to take classes that really interested them.

On-site administration of your program

I liked that this program tried to incorporate about half field trips into its curriculum because if gave me a chance to explore London as well as areas outside of London that I may not have experienced had I traveled there by myself. One thing I was disappointed at first was it was about a 30 minute train ride away from London; I thought they advertised it to be closer than it actually was. But after spending a month there I was happy we weren't in the middle of central London because that was crazy busy. Also the dorms are a 20 minute walk and 10 minute bus ride away from the actual school which was different. The nice thing is though that a traveling card is provided in your program costs which is a major tool when traveling around Kingston and London!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The housing was in dorms. You got your own room with a bathroom which is nice and then you shared a flat with 4-5 other people. Basically in the flat everyone had their own rooms you just shared a kitchen. The rooms were nice but I felt like I only got to know Americans because thats pretty much all there were. I think there were two people from Paris but the rest were all from America. Like I said before the actual school and their "union" was a little ways away so all your food was either eating out or you making it yourself.

The food in London is not so good. A lot of places around Kingston were pubs which was fun. I enjoyed Strongbow Cider and some good fish and chips. They had fast food American style as well like McDonald but it was more expensive than it is in America. The grocery stores provided a good variety of food and with kitchens fully furnished cooking at home was totally accessible.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Like I said we were mostly with Americans which was good but I would have liked to have hung out with some native Londoners to see what their day to day life is like. Our field trips though gave us a great chance to experience the culture and learn about the English lifestyle.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

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

Select all that apply

• Dorm

Select all that apply

• Americans