Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Like any college, some of the classes/professors were better than others. However, I do feel as though I learned a lot from all the classes I took, and the fact that they involved going out into the city and seeing shows/museums was very interesting and exciting to me. It was really a different educational experience from the home campus, which was what I was I wanted in a study abroad program.

On-site administration of your program

The three administrators at the London center were some of the most wonderful people I have ever met. All three of them knew a lot about London, they were all extremely friendly, and they were always willing to help us with anything, or just to talk. We had weekly coffee talks where we could socialize with them, and that was always really fun. They also organized weekend trips for us to go on, and gave us information about events in London. My expectations were absolutely exceeded in terms of the administration.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Before we arrived in London, one of my flatmates had been communicating with a landlord that she contacted through former London Center students. We were the only group that didn't have to search for housing once we got there. We lived at 8a Westgate Terrace in Earl's Court. It was a very cute flat with a large living room, a small kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a patio out back. It was fairly small, but our living room/dining area was one of the biggest of all of the flats that other students had. It was very clean, and all of the furniture was relatively new. We had some problems with heat, hot water, and mice, but our landlord was very friendly, easy to contact and talk to, and he was always willing to help us with anything. <br /><br /> Admittedly we had some minor issues, but our landlord's attentiveness and the location of the flat outweighed the problems. I really enjoyed living in Westgate Terrace.

Most of the pubs and restaurants have pretty good food, but we didn't eat out very much. Most of what we ate was the cheapest possible food we could buy at the cheapest grocery store, and we were limited by how much we knew how to cook...so sometimes the food was not so good. But if we had spent a little more money on food and had more time to cook meals, we might have eaten a little better. Part of the problem was that we didn't have much time to cook, but since the reason for our limited time was usually that we had to go see a show, we didn't mind. I know one of my flatmates is lactose intolerant, and she had a bit of trouble finding food that was suitable for her.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The theater and museums in London and everywhere in Europe are incredible; they were my favorite part of the trip. All of the field trips through the London Center are totally worth the money, and all students should attend them if possible. Traveling on the weekends and during fall break was also an amazing experience, and I highly recommend it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There wasn't much the London Center could do about health issues, other than refer us to a doctor or hospital. There were a few health problems, but to my knowledge they were mostly resolved by the individual. I always felt safe, because I knew I could always call the London Center staff if I needed help. Walking in London alone is a little nervewracking sometimes, but I honestly never felt unsafe, even in the "dodgy" areas.

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

Please note that this is not a reflection on the program: I studied abroad in London, which as an English-speaking country. There wasn't much more that I could learn about English as a language there than I could in Ithaca. However, I will say that I learned a lot about British slang during my time abroad.

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