Bloody Wicked Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Amazing. Most of the classes were awesome, interesting and just the right level of challenge for me. The staff are amazing and helped me not only with my academic experience but my overall experience in London, including with housing. I got to go on four really cool trips to Bath, Edinburgh, Paris and Stratford-on-Avon, my classes and experiences took me throughout London and I was able to do a wonderful internship because of this program.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I wasn't a major fan of the apartment I was in or the agency we dealt with to rent it but it's a little hard to avoid issues like that when looking for a London flat. Certainly ICLC's staff went out of their way to help me and every other student find housing for the duration of the semester.

You have to make or buy your own meals or eat out if you're going to ICLC. Having said that, the staff are wonderful about letting you know where the best and cheapest supermarkets and markets are and which restaurants to go to if you're on a student budget. You also get the opportunity to eat some wonderful meals on the various trips, often at the staff's expense. I can't tell you how many times Bill went out of his way to pay for my meal or lent me some money to buy groceries or lunch.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Short of doing an actual home stay (which is one of the options ICLC offers), I don't see how I could have been more integrated into British culture. We lived in flats in the middle of London, had mostly British professors, participated in internships with mostly British companies and coworkers and took trips throughout London and the UK. Even if you took this program and actively tried not to be integrated into British culture, you wouldn't last a minute before having to give up.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't really have many physical health issues, apart from one cold, which quickly went away after I got some cough drops and cold medicine from a pharmacy chain the staff had recommended. Mentally, the staff and professors were very good at helping us deal with homesickness and stress.

There definitely are some decidedly dodgy parts of London. Having said that, the staff do their best to make sure the students don't wind up living in any of them and for a city of its size and density, London is amazingly safe. I was able to walk around parts of the city well into the middle of the night without any incident or feeling unsafe. Moreover, the ICLC building itself is located in one of the most prosperous and low-crime areas in all of London.

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

2.5. I badly underestimated how many travelers' cheques could get me through a month's rent and between that and the landlord's failure to get the right amount of wireless for my housing group definitely made things financially tight at times. Having said that, I usually had enough to get by, Bill was always willing to lend me money when I needed it and the staff are good at giving you tips on how to save money.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The culture and sights
• The city itself
• The staff

• Maybe a better overview of the different landlords and past problems students have encountered with them.