Past Review
By Oulimata B (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., SUNY - Binghamton) for
SUNY Binghamton: London - Semester in London
I was worthwhile. The trip altered my academic interests a bit- I may decide to live in London for a while in the furture. Also, due to the faculty and the books that I had to read for my classes, I am considering a career in writing. I dont know what it is, but there is something about London that makes me want to write!
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Florida State University |
| 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. |
I learned soo much during this trip. The class trips that I took to different museums and exhibits really helped me relate to a learning experience thatI have never had before,the fact that it was so engaging made me learn a lot. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was very helpful, and available whenever assistence was needed. Again, I would really suggest to give the students a couple extra days to rest before oriengation and classes start, I felt a little rushed to get things done when I landed. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with four other girls in a flat in central London at 17 Bedford Place in the borough of Camden. <br /><br /> I honestly did not like where I lived. The housing situation was misleading, as I was led to beleive that I would have a dishwasher and washing machine inside the flat. There was absolutetly no heat in the apartment when we arrived, which made me really upset because it was the middle of winter. Acorn was not really accomodating with providing us with heat as quickly as possible, which I found infuriating because I was paying to live there. What is more everything in the flat seemed to brake down at one point or another, including the iron, my legs underneath my bed was broken, the pait on the ceiling of the bathroom was chiping, and the shower in one of the bathrooms did not work. What also upset me is that the students who lived at the other flat on 1 Bloosmebury recieved better accomodations then the people at 17 Bedford, which was most unfair because we were all paying the same ammount. I was very dissapionted with the housing. |
| * Food: |
I loved the food they have in London. I felt the food sold in supermarkets and served in restaurants tasted far better then American food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The most memerable fieldtrip for me was the trip to Paris. I really enjoyed the time I spent there, and I was nice to spend time in a competely different country that is only a couple of hours away from London. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The program leaders mad ea point to make sure that we knew where to go and what to do in case one of us got sick or were in trouble. Several places and doctors were recommended, and the program leader and faculty made sure to let us know that we could contact them if we were to have any problems. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Most of the money I spent was on clothes. Food for me was not that expensive once I learned where to shop and what to buy. Each week I spent roughly 130punds. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | It honestly depends on the individual. Unanticipated expenses for me were at a minimum becasue the faculty warned us if we were to have to spend any money |
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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* Who did you take classes 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? | The trip is what you make it. If you are going for the academic part of the trip, then I would most definitely suggest going. If you are going for the cultural/soical part of it, then I would advise that you go on your own time, and not with a school group |
