Fall semester in UCL Past Review
By A student (Psychology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 02/28/2016 to 12/18/2015 with
University College London (UCL): London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
It was worthwhile
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The courses were a mixture of good (ex. Health and Clinical Psychology) and lacking. Access to resources (ex. access to buildings) expire on the day that the course ends, yet there were assignments due after the end date of the semester that requires the use of those resources which made it extremely stressful and difficult to coordinate, and complete the assignment to satisfaction. The assessments are done through multiple 2000 word essays crammed to the end month. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The affiliate students were not well informed in many ways and it was difficult figuring out what was expected, when etc. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was in one of the UCL residences and while my room was spacious and recently renovated, my heating system did not work until the last 2-3 weeks of semester and despite me notifying them about the issue from early October when other people's heating turned on and many more times afterwards, they did not take action in any way until December by when I had gotten used to shivering in my room under many layers and holding a hot water bottle. They did not do anything until the issue with the heating in my and my neighbor's room caused the ceiling to break in the floor below, in the kitchen, which stopped everyone from using that kitchen for around a week. A lot of things were poorly handled. |
* Food: |
Food is very expensive. However, if that is not an issue, the area around UCL provides a lot of good options. |
* 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? |
I personally did not need healthcare. |
* Safety: |
I did not have any issues with safety. |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
While a lot of things could be improved, I took away a lot from my courses and had experiences that taught me a lot and gave me perspective. |
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) |
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Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook at home rather than eating out! Also buy in bulk (if reasonable), look out for discount hours at the various supermarkets |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
* 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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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? | That the assignment period would be really hectic and requires a lot of planning ahead, and that London would be more expensive than expected. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |