Living Next To The British Museum Past Review
By A student (Pace University) - abroad from 01/09/2012 to 06/06/2012 with
SOAS, University of London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained so much personally. It was very worthwhile, but next time I plan on going somewhere else.
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. |
The classes were incredibly intense and the workload was solely based on essays and exams. I learned a great deal, but I felt as though there could have been more resources available for me in terms of academic support and library support. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was not helpful. It was very difficult to get in touch with administrators as well as the study abroad office in general. It was very much a "do it yourself" experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in university housing which consisted of apartments (flats) with a shared kitchen. What I enjoyed is that I had my own room and bathroom, as well as a very lenient guest policy. It was only a 25 minute walk away from school and directly next to a large Tube (Subway) station. |
| * Food: |
Although I cooked for myself most of the time, the food that was at my university was amazing! There were many different options for vegetarians, vegans, and meat eaters, and it was nice to have a University bar. In general London's food culture is growing, and I especially enjoyed exploring pub culture and Indian food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
London is a very easy place to become integrated. I made many friends and learned how to get around London quickly. As long as you're open to London culture, then it will accept you! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were recommended health services that were somewhat connected to my university, but it was only recommended. When I had health problems I had to rely on my friends to help me find a doctor and hospital. My university barely gave me information about it. |
| * Safety: |
There was a lot of security, but big cities can still have their shady moments. |
| 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) |
The exchange rate in England was very difficult. Everything is expensive! From transportation to food and social outings, I really had to curb my budget. Because of that, I wasn't able to travel around Europe as much as I wanted to. |
| * 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? | I'm not really sure, but definitely upwards of 200 dollars. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get your parents to send you food. Utilize student discounts, go to farmers markets, and buy the store brand stuff! It also helped me to make a conversion chart that I hung on my wall to see how much I was spending in dollars. I also kept a little one in my wallet. |
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 |
It was very difficult, but the program was very intense, so you had to practice to stay caught up. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Arabic 101. I attempted to take the equivalent of Arabic 102 but they were 7 chapters ahead of me, so it was difficult to catch up. I ended up dropping the class. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | In general if you take a language, study and practice every day. It depends on the language, but I find that translating things helps me the most. |
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?
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? | That doing this program would not be easy at all. |
