Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Teaching in Liverpool: An Enlightening Experience Past Review

By (Special Education-LD, Hope College) for

Liverpool Hope University: Liverpool - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned what it means to be a global learner and how I can bring that to the students that I will be teaching some day. I may even want to teach in my host country some day because I had a good experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload wasn't too bad for me. The only thing I really struggled with was the grading system; it was very confusing and not really explained very well. Even after I asked multiple questions, I didn't understand the system.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I liked my program because I got to work in the local schools as a teacher and experience college life in my host country. I did not like living in the dorms and would have rather stayed with other international students. However, this experience has made me a more well-rounded person.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I did not like living in the dorms. I was in a dorm full of first year students who liked to party and were not very welcoming. This was tough because I'm a fourth year student and I was student teaching. There were many problems I had to deal with and did not receive the support I needed even after talking to my resident tutor and program leader.

* Food:

I had a variety of food and got to try new things. I liked the food.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I got to travel a lot, which was one of the best things about studying abroad.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt safe in my city and at my university. Also, I knew where I could go if I had any health problems because information was provided to me.

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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I tried not to spend a lot of money which led to me not doing as much as I wanted to do, but I still had a great time. Buying a bus pass was an unexpected expense for me.

Language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None

Other Program Information

* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • I liked that I got to work with students on a daily basis.
* What could be improved?
  • I think I'd like to have my program be more organized.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I would tell students thinking about this program to just be open-minded and flexible. Any student going into education would benefit from this program.