Can't Wait to Go Back! Past Review
By Heather L (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., New York University) - abroad from 01/18/2012 to 05/19/2012 with
New York University: London - NYU in London
I learned that the world is more accessible than I thought it was. I learned that I am capable of exploring and traveling on my own, and I learned just how independent I really can be. My experience has inspired me to travel more, as often as time and money allows! It was worth more than I could have ever imagined!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I enjoyed my classes, but found it difficult to adjust to the class schedule (meeting once a week for three hours at a time). I really enjoyed the classes that were specific to London because it added to my abroad experience! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I did a lot on my own, but they were there when I needed them! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Nido and expected to hate it, but I was so wrong! I loved being further off campus because it forced me to explore a different area of the city, an area I ended up falling in love with. I really enjoyed my walk to class everyday, but it was nice to know public transportation was literally down the block (Kings Cross, how cool!). |
| * Food: |
Tesco is where its at! Campus and the Nido residence hall are both really close to a Tesco, and I bought groceries/meals from there all the time. The pub food (fish and chips!) in England is also fantastic! People warned me that British food would be awful, but I enjoyed it...plus their chocolate is a million times better than in the US! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was hard to jump into British culture while I was attending a US university since all my classmates were from the US too. Going out to pubs and clubs helped, but the best experiences I had were when I went to concerts - I met so many British people! One of the coolest things about living in the Nido residence hall was that I was only a ten minute walk from a concert venue! If you want to get involved in the culture, you really have to make an effort to put yourself out there. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
London is expensive, and the exchange rate is rough for people from the US. I bought most of what I needed at Tesco, but I spent a ton of money when I would go out to explore (public transportation costs add up!). |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go to Tesco! Walk instead of using public transportation - its nice, good for you, and you'll get to know the city better. If you have to use public transportation, pick the bus instead of the tube! Its cheaper! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Traveling isn't that hard (or scary!). I was really worried about booking flights and figuring out how to travel around Europe once the program was over (I stayed for an extra month), but everything turned out fine! I also wish I knew how awesome it would be to live in the dorm I was assigned to - I had a negative outlook on it before I got there because I heard rumors that made it sound terrible. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
