The teaching style was vastly different from a liberal arts school Past Review
By Satomi G (Economics., Wellesley College) for
SOAS, University of London: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I know that I don't want to study in England, and definitely will not go there for my Masters, but would like to work in London.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Most of the courses were year long courses, and since I was there for term 2 and 3 I was left in the middle without much help catching up to what was already taught. Furthermore there was little incentive to keep up with the work since I only needed to write 2 essays for the class and attendance was not mandatory. The teaching style was vastly different from a liberal arts school, with the focus more on lecturing for two hours and then a more seminar style for the next hour. Little personal attention was given to students. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Little consistent efforts by the host country to include the students and it was difficult for mid-year students to blend in since they were dropped into the middle of established friendships and academic systems. I for one did not receive an exam timetable and only found out when and where my exam was through a classmate. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Flat-style, with a personal bathroom and a shared kitchen for 6 people total. Location was wonderful, right next to Kings Cross and very convenient. |
| * Food: |
I cooked for myself so was able to save on meals while also being satisfied. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was able to make friends with some local students through class and through extracurricular activities. These friendships were all through my own initiative and as far as I know I am one of the few half-year students to have made local friends. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
We were not told very much about health services. |
| 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) |
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Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
It was a program in English and there was little essay writing. My work in the Chinese class was not sufficient to significantly improve my Mandarin. |
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?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Go either for the first term or for the full year. That way you'll be given some guidance along with the other students, or you'll settle in completely. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Economic Development of Southeast Asia |
| Course Department: | 153400012 |
| Instructor: | Anne Booth |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Terrible. The professor was exceedingly dull, the material was very scattered, and there was little economics basis and was more of a history or a social sciences course. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Southeast Asian Government and Politics |
| Course Department: | 153400022 |
| Instructor: | Steve Heder |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Interesting course, a lot of information given in a more coherent manner, focusing on a country during a specific time period per class. Again, the teaching style was very different from the American style of teaching and was rather dull, but at least the lecture was only an hour long. The professor was very knowledgeable of his field. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Politics of Development |
| Course Department: | 153400042 |
| Instructor: | Tat Yan Kong |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Large class, very theoretical and comparative so quite a challenging class. Again, difficulties becoming engaged with material due to lecture style. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Chinese 401: Advanced Modern Chinese Language |
| Course Department: | 155901229 |
| Instructor: | Xuen Li |
| Instruction Language: | Mandarin |
| Comments: | Good teaching style, since the students were true students of the language and not heritage speakers. The professors were quite well-prepared and the instruction was much better than at Wellesley, but given the large class size I was not able to participate as much as I wanted to. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No. |
