Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A literary and personal exploration of london June 17, 2023

By (English Language and Literature, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/12/2022 to 05/15/2023 with

King's College London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned about the intricacies of European life. I've always been interested in Urban life and seeing London up close and personal, it was wonderful to make comparisons and observations. it even inspired my senior thesis, and I'm staying on in the city with the Kellogg Grant to finance this.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was living externally at a student hall. Called IQ Arcade. They were atrocious at keeping spaces clean and livable. They barely maintained any prongs of the tenancy agreement. Not worth the money whatsoever.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I loved the academic rigor and modern focuses of the literature department. The extracurriculars were also wonderful and the program was great.

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)

2.5 - London is a very expensive city to live in

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? n/a

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • KCL English
  • KCL Acapella
  • Friends I met in the city outside of KCL
* What could be improved?
  • Housing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Booking london flat rent should be done 6 months in advance

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Vernacular Theory
Course Department: English
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Fully worth the money, it was an exploration of theoretical ideas through vernacular media such as music and TV. The teacher prepped me well for the exam and it was rigorous and pushed my abilities. We were assessed through an essay examination and although I was fully prepped it was quite difficult and assessed at almost graduate student standards.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Ulysses Seminar
Course Department: English
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I read through one of the most demanding and challenging novels. Ulysses by James Joyce. I fully was able to explore and study through the novel and explore difficult literary ideas. The exam was an essay, and I was able to easily answer the questions as my professor prepared us well. This was one of the few courses that was more difficult than Middlebury Courses.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

French 1
Course Department: Modern Languages
Instructor:
Instruction Language: French/English
Comments: The course was horrible. The teacher did not teach the curriculum and expected us to learn the language ourselves. We were met with elementary-school-esque rants from the teacher when we weren't able to converse fluently in French even though we weren't taught the material. The exam was spoken and written, and I had to study fully on my own time using external resources and friends who are fluent in the language. This was much worse than any language course at Middlebury and I was not able to learn enough French as I wanted.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Literature and Psychoanalysis
Course Department: Literature
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a very important course that taught me the fundamentals of psychoanalysis. I was able to learn a lot from the lecturer who worked through pieces of literature and theoretical cases. The lecturer taught me individually in office hours, as well as in lectures and seminars. This course was difficult because of the content and was probably equivalent to Middlebury Theoretical Courses
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Music and the City
Course Department: Music
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was about urban theory and music. It taught me interesting facts about music in Milan; however, the professor seemed to focus on very banal ideas that didn't really work with the curriculum. There was great music study in the course but for both the essay and the exam, I had to do mainly self study to prepare myself. It was easier than Middlebury Courses, but a lot more work, as I wasn't given the resources to study the material.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

The Contemporary Global Novel
Course Department: English
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was a wonderful exploration of global novels. IT was a very postmodern perspective of global literature and postcolonial theory. The perspective was wonderful and the teacher had new ideas; however, it was very difficult to study as the professor wasn't as rigorous with her thought as Middlebury's courses but the perspective was fresh and interesting to learn.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

The Contemporary Irish Novel
Course Department: English
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was wonderful. The professor was Irish, and the course taught about the contemporary portrayals of Ireland in Literature. There were interactive seminars and discussions, and when I was able to make a trip to Ireland on my holiday, I could visit sections from the course. It was very interactive and immersive course. The exam was an essay that I was fully prepared for because of the professor.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Studies in 20th and 21st Century Music
Course Department: Music
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was marketed as listed; however, on the first day all the students were surprised to find out that it is actually studies in Ballet. And because of the difficulty in switching courses, I was in a course about the history of modern ballet. As this is subject I'm not interested in, the work was a slog and the exams were difficult. I was well prepared though as the professor presented students with several resources to prepare and research.
Credit Transfer Issues: