The American Invasion of England for a Semester Abroad Past Review
By Ali B (Biology/ Pre-Physical Therapy, Capital University) - abroad from 01/06/2014 to 05/17/2014 with
Study Abroad Programs in England
I learned how to live with people that were not exactly my type of people (loud party people) and how to truly live on my own (cooking, cleaning, etc). I also learned how to navigate in a foreign country. It was definitely worthwhile. Studying abroad gives you a new perspective on many aspects of life.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
There were so many resources at my disposal and the teachers were enthusiastic about teaching. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My flat was fantastic. It was located near my classes and had a full kitchen that I shared with 5 other students, 3 that were native students and 2 other Americans. |
| * Food: |
I typically made my own food in my kitchen but the food that I had on campus at the Union was always really good. Full Monte Burgers are the best! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Roehampton put on a social program that took the study abroad students around the city and to other parts of the country. I'd say 80% of the things that we did I really liked. The other 20% were either things I had done through a class or things that did not interest me personally. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not personally have to use the healthcare while abroad, however, if I needed to there was a hospital less than 1 mile from campus. |
| * Safety: |
There's a guard 24/7 at the front gate, swipe access through a side gate (that is only operational between certain hours) and, if need be, you could call someone to walk you to your destination. |
| 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) |
I didn't have much difficultly keeping my grocery budget down. If you don't eat out very often and watch for sale prices it isn't difficult to keep to a budget. However, there is the currency conversion to take into account. Things like clothes are more expensive in London. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $120 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy a monthly student Oyster pass if you plan on using the Tube and buses often. It's about $110 but it lets you travel as much as you want through zones 1 and 2 and a bus to any zone. When you go grocery shopping, buy things in bulk, and shop with a friend to get sale prices. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? |
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? | To plan what side trips I wanted to take ahead of time and to buy a student Oyster card ASAP. Also to make good friends with some of the locals. They know where all sorts of cool, off-the-beaten path kind of stuff is. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
