Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Silly and expensive. Past Review

By (Economics & Political Science, Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/24/2012 to 12/14/2012 with

University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Definitely worth the expense. A great way to learn while living in a city and experiencing another culture.

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.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Cooked own food

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Lived with freshmen so, sort of challenging to meet locals that were my age.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

London is extraordinarily expensive. I probably could have cut down on the budget but it requires special effort (shopping at the right grocery stores, et cetera). The tuition for UCL is substantially less than my home institution, which is a positive, but some of those savings need to be allocated toward food / travel costs (Tube / Bus), other expenses.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $700 average.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Shop wisely at grocery stores and take a limited amount of money out on weekends (the latter being the true key to savings).

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Location
  • Ease of Study
  • Style of Instruction
* What could be improved?
  • Meeting Similarly Aged Students
  • Dorm Quality
  • Administrative Support
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I probably would have chosen to get a flat with people I knew from my home institution rather than staying in the dorms, since the provided housing isn't of the greatest quality and living with 1st years didn't yield the best social opportunities (although it was still pretty fun).

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to British Politics
Course Department: Political Science
Instructor: Chrysa Lamprinakou
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Moderately challenging; good reading list. Class involved lectures and a seminar once a week. Professor was kind of awkward but at least knowledgeable. 2 2,000 word essays, graded fairly.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Economics of Development
Course Department: Economics
Instructor: Beatrice Armendariz
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Good content; didn't attend lecture after second week because was just reading powerpoint in huge lecture. Problem sets were somewhat useful; learned the most from powerpoints / reading. Exam was fair (100% of grade). Unclear how it was graded, didn't receive the mark I thought I earned.
Credit Transfer Issues: Unclear, grades not yet posted.
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to Comparative Politics
Course Department: Political Science
Instructor: James Melton
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Professor was really great (American, which was nice). Super knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Interesting lectures with useful seminars. 2 2000 word essays, fairly graded.
Credit Transfer Issues: Grades not posted yet.
Course Name/Rating:

Welfare Politics
Course Department: Political Science
Instructor: Roland Kappe
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Pretty good professor, reasonable lectures and seminars. Lectures were at times a bit disorganized. Good reading list. 2 2000 word essays, fairly graded.
Credit Transfer Issues: Grades not yet posted.