Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

It's a study ABROAD - experience the PLACE - Studio Art in Great Britain Past Review

By (Art Teacher Education., Brigham Young University) - abroad from 05/01/2012 to 06/14/2012 with

Study Abroad Programs in England

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I definitely learned a lot about myself. I discovered how much I love learning about other cultures, and how much more at home I feel abroad than I do in the US. Going on this trip completely changed many of my perspectives. I made a few very close friends who I wouldn't trade for the world. However, I disagreed with the way one of my professors operated, so trying to balance who I'm trying to be as an artist with the importance of grades was very stressful. I'm very grateful for the experience that I had and I would recommend it to anyone, but if I were to go on another study abroad, I would choose a different program in a new place to experience.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The time spent in museums and out experiences were the most valuable parts by far.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We were mostly in hostels, so some places were better than others. Oban was probably the nicest SYHA, while most of the others were pretty nasty.

* Food:

Breakfast was sometimes provided for by the hostel, otherwise we paid for everything.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

In Liverpool I felt like we were very integrated, with our collaborate project at Wirral Met. Most other places I really just felt like a tourist.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Nobody had any severe problems.

* Safety:

The curfews brought everyone back inside at an early but reasonable time, so no late night shenanigans could occur. The buddy system was always in effect and so that was helpful too.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

I probably spent an average of $30 a day on food, travel costs (which were supposed to be included in the program fee), and souvenirs. I know a few people in our group were able to get by with less than that, but I didn't want to miss the chance to try or eat something I may never have the chance to do again. Also, three of us had our suitcases break by halfway through the trip, so that was a big expense we weren't counting on.

* 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? about $210
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? If you are trying to save money, buy all of your food either from tesco or from take away sandwich shops. It will get old, but will leave you money for other things. Also, don't shop at stores you can shop at in the US. Invest in a good suitcase that will survive being drug up and down cobbled streets. Take advantage of free attractions and city passes.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
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?
  • The variety of places we went and the order we visited them in
  • The collaborative project with Wirral Met
  • Talking with the students and a couple of the professors about ideas
* What could be improved?
  • Some of the hostels were gross
  • A clearer itinerary, or at least better communication so we knew what was being cut out
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Being motivated to do school work while travelling abroad is HARD. So just set yourself up on a schedule where every day you work on school at a certain time, then have the rest of the day to play.