My Home in London Past Review
By Danna S (English, Religion, Tufts University) for
Tufts Programs Abroad: Tufts in London
My everything was completely altered by this program. UCL taught me how to read, write, and experience academia in an entirely different way than I did before. This experience taught me how to navigate a city, how to cook like a real person and not just a student, and how to act in clubs and pubs and at high tea. I learned that I adore Queer Theory, Fringe theatre, and contemporary Art. I've begun a love affair with Miró and Rothko that will last a lifetime. I've been swept into the abyss that is Balka's How it Is. I've seen the sunset hit St. Paul's from the center of the Millennium Bridge, and been struck completely speechless and motionless by the beauty of it. I've sat in Gordon Square Gardens writing in my Moleskine, and pretending to be Virginia Woolf. I could walk down the street and drop in on the Rosetta Stone and bits and pieces of the Parthenon whenever I wanted. The sidewalks of London ooze history and culture through their cracks; you can't walk two blocks without stepping on it. But it's not just old, it's new too, and electric. There's always something to see, something to do, some piece of future history to be a part of. Never before, and probably never again will I have the opportunities I had as an American Student in London. You should go.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I miss UCL every day. It's harder, the writing is very intense, but the tutorial system worked wonders on me. I didn't really know what critical analysis was before UCL. Tufts professors could learn a lot from the UK's education system. Also, I had roughly 7 hours of class a week as opposed to the 15 I have year, but I read more than ever there, and learned more than I have in my entire Tufts experience. Tufts is great, but the academics don't hold a candle to UCL. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program directors were amazing. They were supportive, fun, and invested in the success of our experiences, academically and otherwise. The events they planned for us were always fun and well put together. I miss Jaki a lot, and was very grateful that I got a chance to meet her. Simon is a wonderful man, and he is going to do an amazing job running the program this year, and hopefully for many years to come. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a Victorian house that was converted into a Dorm with an amazing group of students, mostly Freshers, who in some cases became my best friends. I lived across the street from campus, and very close to two different lines of the tube. A ten minute walk from King's Cross, and a ten minute walk from Leicester Square. Three supermarkets, clubs, major shopping, wine bars, pubs, and cafés all within walking distance. I had my own kitchen, so I needed to buy some things, but for the most part, my flatmates shared with me. I shipped my bedding from America, but I bought some posters and picture frames to nest. I honestly couldn't have been happier with my living situation. I miss it every day. |
| * Food: |
See Above (Café Presto is the name of the Café). Having my own kitchen forced me into learning how to cook. A lot of the time, my flatmates and I all went shopping together and cooked big family dinners. Pasta dishes, Chicken or Lamb Curry, and Bangers and Mash were some of our favorites. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Being a student in London is awesome. Nights out, it feels like everyone is a student in London. My favorite memories involve walking around the city at all hours of the night with friends, taking silly pictures on the bank of the Thames, dancing until 4 in the morning, and just wandering around Soho by myself. I loved walking south through Soho and crossing the Millenium Bridge, visiting the Tate Modern, then walking through Southwark, crossing Westminster Bridge, looking up at Parliament, then walking back home through Westminster. It took a whole day, but it was always so beautiful. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
There's free healthcare in the UK and it is awesome. The one time I needed the doctor, I made an appointment, showed up, didn't wait at all, got a $6 prescription, and was fine in two weeks. No negative comments on healthcare. Also, London's a very safe city. Lots of pickpockets and bag thieves, but I never got anything stolen. Besides, if petty theft is a city's worst problem, they're definitely doing something right. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook! And don't book expensive flights. Also, if you're on a year program, try to get a job. I started freelance writing online because I couldn't find a job, but hopefully the economy is on the up, so it won't be so hard in the future to get hired. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do this program if you're someone who jumps into the pool with all your clothes on. It's a commitment, because it's a year, but it will probably be the best thing that ever happened to you. Don't travel every weekend. Make it to the places you want to see, but experience London, because it's the greatest city in the world. People from the Northeast like me think New York is the center of the universe. We're wrong. It's not. London is. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Literary Representation and History of Homosexuality |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | New lecturer every week. Hugh Stevens was the course convenor. I was partial to Michael Sayeaux |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Completely opened my eyes. I changed the primary focus of my major because of this class. I want to do my grad work in this subject now. I was able to work with absolutely brilliant professors and read incredibly influential works of theory that I never would have been exposed to otherwise. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Nope. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Judaism and the Origins of Christianity |
| Course Department: | Judaic Studies |
| Instructor: | Sacha Stern |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Sacha Stern is a brilliant scholar. I learned a ton. Taking this course helped me re-evaluate how to approach historical text, as well as modern scholarship on historical text. I was also exposed to the work of many scholars, which I am now incorporating into my undergraduate thesis. This class was very difficult. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Art in London: 20th Century |
| Course Department: | HIstory of Art |
| Instructor: | Mark Stuart-Smith |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very good. I never knew I loved Modern Art before taking this class. It's taught in the museums, so it's a great way to get to know the artistic culture of London. They offer other time periods, as well as an Architecture course. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Shakespeare |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Rene Weis |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Very good. I skipped most of the lectures, but I still read everything and learned a lot. The seminars were all very useful and interesting. Made me look at Shakespeare in a whole new way. Also, I got to study for the final by seeing Macbeth at the Globe :) |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Nope |
