Exploring, Learning, and Living in London: A Study Abroad Experience August 26, 2024
By Eva M (Environmental Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/25/2023 to 12/13/2023 with
Queen Mary University of London Study Abroad programme
I learned a lot about myself as a traveler, I am a lot more independent than I thought. I did many things by myself, going to museums, concerts, shopping, and studying at cafes, it really was like a choose-your-own-adventure game.
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 courses, it was interesting how there was much more work outside of class, as we met only once a week for most of my courses. This is in contrast to my experience at Wellesley, where classes tend to be held at least twice a week. I found the coursework to be manageable, I had time to do the things that I wanted to. There were ample resources for international students, my advisors were incredibly responsive over email and flexible in helping me work out my schedule so I could take all of the classes I wanted. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Easy to reach administration over email--if I ever had any questions they were very responsive. Furthermore, they hosted events for international students to help us get settled and made the expectations for the semester very clear. During our orientation, we broke up into smaller groups and had the opportunity to speak to QMUL students who had studied abroad which helped ease some nerves. Plus they gave us tips on what do do and places to go! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Enjoyed living in a flat with both international and non-international students. I liked that I had my own room with a bathroom, if I ever had any issues it was easy to request maintenance. They also did routine checks which I appreciated! I wish there was a better common space to hang out in besides the kitchens. |
| * Food: |
Meal plan was fine, I mostly went out to eat or cooked on my own |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since London is such a global city, I didn't find there to be one single local culture, it was a great experience to try new things and meet new people. It was very easy for me to get out and explore on my own, I felt at home in the city. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues in need of addressing during my stay |
| * Safety: |
Not once did I feel unsafe in the city, which I was honestly, shocked about as a woman. I had no issues walking alone even when it was dark out, there were always people around. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
If I had the same insight that I have now, I would have planned trips better and would have been smarter with my money. I also would choose to spend time with different people. |
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 a very expensive city, it was my first time not working since high school. The conversion rate between the USD and GBP is not great. Travel isn't cheap! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~200-300 USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get a TFL student card! Make a budget for yourself and limit spending, if you're buying something for yourself (clothes, souveniers, etc.) make sure it's something you really like and will use! You don't need to buy things to remember the experience. |
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? | 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? | It was hard to find a community. Since being there for a semester is such a short amount of time, it was hard to prioritize spending time with others since there was so much I wanted to do. I wish I had done more research before going to London, I really knew nothing about the city until I went there, and I think then I would have found my niche. |
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. |
