London, oh you beautiful city. Past Review
By Francisca F (Business Administration and Management, General, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management) - abroad from 09/08/2014 to 12/15/2014 with
Regent’s University London: Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I got to live in a metropolitan city, a welcomed change to my home university town. Yes, it was definitely worthwile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Resources were all available and made university work very enjoyable. The programme itself was not very demanding from an academic viewpoint and I could finish all studies within 30 hours weekly, which did not compare to the effort I had to put into studies at my home institution. The exchange student body was very welcoming and friendly but there was little contact with the properly enrolled student body. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Administration was very helpful with all things related to my stay abroad. What was a little unnerving was the fact that the student registry published exam dates only 4 weeks prior to the end of term. Many exchange students had problems booking their flights home as it was not clear when their exams would take place. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I searched for accomodation online and found a beautiful house near Lambeth North, which I shared with two other tenants and my boyfriend (thus making rent affordable). The house was beautiful and always full of life and our housemates simly amazing. |
| * Food: |
London is definitely the food capital of Europe. Prices are high, however. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
London will always make you feel like you belong, no matter which nationality. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not need any health preparations prior to entering the programme. I knew that the NHS would only support residents who stayed in the UK for more than a year. I thus made use of my foreign travel health insurance. |
| * Safety: |
London can be a little dodgy, especially at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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) |
It's London, after all. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 120 pounds? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Go shop and do your groceries at Lidl or Aldi. The quality is good and you get twice as much out of it than if you'd go shopping at Tesco or Waitrose. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Englisch was the main spoken language in London and at the university. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | C2-English classes? The programme at my home university is mostly taught in English. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Watch TV series with English subtitles. That's how I learned the language in 6th grade. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | I wish I had known that a low academic level would frustrate me as much. |
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. |
