Past Review
By Bari S (Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services., SUNY - Binghamton) for
University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
This was the greatest experience of my life and I feel bad for students that do not do it. If finances are an issue, do an exchange program! London is my favorite city and so living there for nearly 6 months was a dream come true.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
| 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. |
In England the teaching style is different. I appreciated learning in a different manner but did not appreciate the little-to-no feedback in my academic performances. As English teaching is different from American, students are marked on one to two assignments (at the most) which determine the students' whole grade in a course. Many times the student has no idea where he/she stands in a course, as the professors or tutors do not give grades back so a student can improve. |
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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? |
The building was not in the best shape, but the location was absolutely incredible. I could not have been more centralized in London. I would live in the building again for that location! <br /><br /> |
| * Food: |
Produce is much less expensive in England. Despite the currency conversions when I first moved to London (1.6) food was always really affordable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I budgeted myself so when I was in London I would spend no more than 30 pounds/week on food (including eating out). Since I lived so centrally, I was able to walk to most places I wanted to go to so I saved on public transportation. London can be affordable if you make the effort. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | There really weren't any |
Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Linguistics of Sign Languages |
| Course Department: | Division of Psychology: Language Sciences PLIN 7308 |
| Instructor: | Adam Schembri |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This module was incredible. If a student has a background in linguistics and an interest in Sign languages, he/she will benefit greatly. The information is fascinating and the rotation of lecturers include Deaf academics. All together, this class was wonderful. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not that I am aware of at this point. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
History of Renaissance Art |
| Course Department: | History of Art Department |
| Instructor: | Gilly Hatch |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Not only was this class interesting, but we spent every class at a different museum. The only time we spent in a classroom was the first day when Gilly explained how the course works. This class was a great cultural and educational experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Not that I am aware of. |
