Going to England has changed me as a person and was the absolute best thing I have ever done in life Past Review
By Kirk H (Insurance., Illinois State University) for
Liverpool Hope University: Liverpool - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I have learned so much about myself, others, and the world. It is one of those experiences that you can't explain to family and friends unless they have gone abroad themselves. It is a whole different world over there, a world that is near simple and care-free and easy going. You learn about judgement of people, independence of yourself, managing time and money, learning how to interact with others on a global scale.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was not bad at all and the teachers were extremely helpful. Having all my classes scheduled for just two days a week gave me plenty of time to get my work done and study and left plenty of time to travel and soak up my new atmosphere! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the housing. I went with three other students to Liverpool but I was put to live with Irish and English (local students). This was the best part for me. The friendships I have made were amazing and I do not let them go. We are already planning trips to go and see each other. Being the only American was amazing because it really opens your eyes and you learn alot about yourself and what you can deal with being on your for 5 months. |
| * Food: |
Going shopping once a week saves you money, try not to eat out every night. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
When you get to your country, sit down, check your bank statement and start organizing places you may want to see. Try and narrow it down to 6 or 7 countries and go for it! If there is somewhere you think you may want to see, do not hold back, just do it because who knows if you'll ever get the chance again. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
England is an extremely safe place to live, I often felt more safe their than I did around parts of Chicago. I had to go to the hospital on three different occasions and was taken care of with great respect. They have NHS (everything medical related is free!) so their is nothing to worry about if you do need higher level medical attention. Their are police and medics all over the city and extra ones for nights out on the town to keep everything in order. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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 can't estimate what I spent weekly, but overall i spent about $5,500 total. This may seem like a big number, but I traveled to 8 different countries, some more than once, I had to buy groceries each week, souvenirs, little personal expenses (going out to eat, sporting matches etc.) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My only advice here is to open a bank account in the country and transfer money over to a debit card issued in that country. This way, you save money every time withdraw from an ATM instead of getting charged $5 each time. Other than that, I was not tied down to money. After about a week, I realized it would be expensive and I did not care. I am certainly not rich, but I knew to fully enjoy mt time in England and all of Europe for that matter, I would spend money. If there was something I wanted to do, I did it, I did not hold back and have absolutely NO REGRETS!! |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | An outgoing person who is looking to meet new people from all over the world and have an absolute blast should go to Liverpool, England! It is an easy place to get on well with other people and you should not worry, only be extremely excited to go! Words of wisdom: do everything, travel everywhere, see and do whatever you want! Money is simply an object that ties people down, do not let it get the best of you, you will make plenty more in your lifetime. Best of luck to you! |
