Cambridge PKP - Best Summer, ever! Past Review
By David M (Economics, Harvard University) for
University of Cambridge, Pembroke College: Cambridge - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Absolutely!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This really depends on the classes you're taking. I took two finance classes and both were pretty easy, and the grading system was a lot better than the American one in that 70+ were A's, so it was pretty easy to get good grades. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Strengths: The directors and program assistants seemed to know each of the students by name, which is quite impressive considering there were around 350 of us in the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Nightlife: Cambridge, although a relatively small city, has one of the best nightlife experiences. There are numerous pubs and clubs in and around the city where you can meet up with friends and relax after classes. Most students lived about 15mins from their classes, which is awesome considering it was summer and you'd want to be outside anyway. No, you don't need to buy anything to cookware or sheets to settle-in. If anything, I felt like I was staying at a hotel during those two months. |
| * Food: |
You get about 280pounds for food in the dining hall, and 80 pounds for food in the cafe at the Union Society. I didn't think the quota for meals was enough, because I ran out with three weeks to go. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were lots of activities to do outside of classes, ranging from punting along the river Cam, to attending formals, Cream Teas, playing a variety of sports, etc. The social aspect of this program was perhaps the most memorable experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
seemed pretty safe to me. |
| 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 probably spent about 100 pounds a week. food was provided at Pembroke |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | just have about two thousand dollars when you're going there. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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 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? | It's summer, have fun, see places, meet people. |
