London is a great city to study in Past Review
By Elizabeth P (Barnard College) - abroad from 01/05/2012 to 06/09/2012 with
Queen Mary University of London Study Abroad programme
I learned so much about myself. I grew into a lot of things as a person, and I learned to love a culture that's different from my own and feel at home in it. It was 100% worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academics are very different here - there's less class time and more focus on doing independent research. It's harder because more of your grade rests on fewer assignments, but gives you more free time during the semester itself. |
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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? |
On campus and en-suite. My flat was excellent, and the kitchen facilities were great. |
| * Food: |
It's self-catering, and the on-campus eateries aren't all that special. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Flatmates were a mix of American and British, and classes were mostly all British (depends on the course though). It was a little difficult because most of the program participants were American, however, if you want to travel and such, mostly Americans will want to travel as well. |
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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 transportation eats up a lot of the budget. Self-catering is cheap if you cook, not if you eat out. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | No |
| * 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? | 30-60 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There are a lot of free things going on in London, and it's always free to walk around. For all of the touristy things you want to do, there's student discounts and sometimes you can get in really cheap with a library card (to the Tower of London, I think). |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | Not to stress out about the workload so much, and don't freak out about how the grading system is different. It all converts in the end. |
