Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Mostly bad, Some good Past Review

By (Truman State University) - abroad from 01/12/2016 to 04/15/2016 with

Missouri-London Program at Roehampton

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to go about a huge city by myself and take care of myself.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

I felt they were very unorganized. My general impression was they were not very helpful and did not understand the vast differences between Truman and the University of Roehampton to properly help Truman students adapt to their surroundings. They were pretty uninvolved after orientation. I didn't even have to tell them when I was leaving. I just left.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

It was nice having a room and a bathroom to myself. There were minimal maintenance problems. The only problem I had was the amount of people coming into my room unannounced. Normally there would be an email saying maintenance would be coming into rooms but a few times there was no warning and maintenance workers would come in without knocking.

* Food:

There were a few places to eat on the main campus but not a lot of places around my campus so I had to make my own food. I wish they offered a meal plan.

* 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? No

I wouldn't choose the program again because it's unorganized and unhelpful on the host university's side. Overall it was not a pleasant experience and a lot of that was because of the program.

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)

It was really expensive when I was there.

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

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • I liked my own room
* What could be improved?
  • More information for Truman students
  • More involvement from the host university
  • More information for Truman students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I had a better understanding of where I was going to live. I did not realize that I would be a mile away from the main campus on a separate campus. I wish I would have known that the university doesn't put on events or help the international students meet each other. I wish I would have known that the university has the impersonal feel equivalent to larger American universities. I wish I would have known that the university doesn't hold your hand throughout the process. They let you do your own thing which is fine for some students but not what I was looking for.

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.