Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fairly fun experience hampered by COVID. Past Review

By (Singapore Management University) - abroad from 01/01/2021 to 05/31/2021 with

ISEP Exchange: London - Exchange Program at University of Roehampton

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained the knowledge of how to communicate effectively with people of other cultures. I learned how to be more independent and be more able to take care of my own schedule.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not the most academically intensive courses I have taken, but sufficiently rigorous and many resources provided by professors for their course.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Stayed with aunt.

* Food:

Cafeteria food is really good, though a fair bit expensive relative to my home country.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Kind of, didn't manage to participate in enough events before COVID hit. :(

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Travel insurance helped massively. NHS booking is filled to a month later, while private clinics can be walked into instantly without any queue. Private healthcare is extremely efficient. No vaccines specifically required.

* Safety:

Even though it's London, a Singaporean can still get punched out of nowhere.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I think I still prefer Japan more, sorry!

Finances

* 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)

Was eating very nice food :x

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200 GBP
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? No. I am not thrifty.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
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?
  • Being able to take modules I've dreamed of that my home university doesn't offer
  • Having the opportunity to engage and interact with students in UK
  • Food
* What could be improved?
  • More interactions for non-hostel staying students, please.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? N/A

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

HST5342
Course Department: Japanese Film: History, Culture and Fantasy
Instructor: Dr Matt Jacobsen
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Extremely engaging course on analysis of Japanese films and their ties towards Japanese culture. Matt is a very passionate teacher and always comes well prepared for any situation in the classroom. I participated far more often than I usually would in my home university.
Credit Transfer Issues: Can be classified under Asian Studies for us.
Course Name/Rating:

ECS657U
Course Department: EECS
Instructor: Dr Jeremy Gow
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Challenging module requiring me to work with 2 other members with varying technical expertise. Teacher is extremely competent and capable of supporting our queries. Assessment was based on a created game with a technical report.
Credit Transfer Issues: No issues. Transferred as IS Options.
Course Name/Rating:

MTH4115
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Not challenging. In fact, this is a rehash of our GCE 'A' Levels syllabus. Assessment based on online exam (during COVID) and written exam (when it was possible in person). Do not take this if you have gone through Junior College in Singapore.
Credit Transfer Issues: No problems. Counted as general electives.
Course Name/Rating:

ECS415U
Course Department: EECS
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Very fun module and fairly challenging technically for a 1st level module. Requires knowledge of physics. Participated in class fairly often. Assessed via papers.
Credit Transfer Issues: No problems as general electives module.