Past Review
By Stacy S (Drama/Sociology, Ithaca College) for
Ithaca College: London - Ithaca College London Center
The reason I said I would not choose this program again is because once is enough. This is not meant as a negative assessment, and it's not that I would mind doing the same program all over again, but I gained so much from the program the first time around, I want to move back and try life a little different in London. I think the program was perfect for the time I was there, but I want to move back to London and live a real, integrated life in the city. The experience was worth all the expense and the stress and the fact that I will be broke for the next five years. It taught me so much about myself and I plan on returning as soon as I have enough for a plane ticket!
Personal Information
| The term and year this program took place: | Fall 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I'm between a 3 and a 4. The interrelationships course offered great insight into my related field of study, but overall the courses I took felt like fluff courses. There was some interesting discussion in some classes, but not much was learned from the classes themselves (not to say that I didn't have an amazing learning experience! It just all came from outside of the classroom.) The grading system also seemed unfair. Most courses had very few assignments integrated into the grade which caused more stressful assignments and an unbalanced review of work done. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The people at the ICLC were extremely helpful in integrating you into the culture. The flat-hunt was stressful, but do-able thanks to the administration's willingness to help out. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
West Brompton/Earl's Court - tiny flat with bed bugs and some problems with the landlord that were sorted out pretty civilly by the end <br /><br /> The bed bug problem in the first month is the only reason for the lower score. After the infestation, the flat was overpriced but comfortable. |
| * Food: |
I didn't encounter any problems with food and on the rare occasion that I dined out, I had no problems finding vegetarian food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
After spending 4 months in London, I want to move back immediately! The city is so alive and rich in culture and experience! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I had a toothache for awhile during the semester and didn't know how to get a doctor to look at it, but the staff at the ICLC ended up being very helpful about looking up what was covered in our health insurance plan. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | I spent around 15-20 pounds ($30-$40) on groceries a week, and maybe 10pounds a week on dining out. Museums were free, so you can save money on those, but other events/clubs/and going out drinking on the weekends will cost around 35pounds a week, depending on how much you want to do and experience. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to budget for tube passes. They do tell you in the beginning to budget for them, but it's easy to forget that every month you have to pay a significant lump of change for travel. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Even though we were in an English-speaking country, I was at least exposed to more languages in the city than I would have been at home. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do this program! It expensive, but the experience is well worth it! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Interrelationships |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Dr. Timothy Kidd |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was the most amazing class I have ever taken. As with any college course, there were days of instruction and discussion that were time-wasting and not helpful. However, the one day a week we had walks around the city of London and the two shows we saw every week were enlightening, enjoyable, packed with knowledge, and I gained the most from my study abroad in London from this course. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
