Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Just Do It :D Past Review

By (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Victoria University of Wellington) - abroad from 01/08/2014 to 06/20/2014 with

University of East Anglia: Norwich - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It can't really be summed up in a little box the things that I learnt and gained on exchange and I suppose that kinda says it all. Are you kidding? Of course it was worthwhile! I left wishing I could go back and relive the past 6 months over and over again!

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 themselves were incredibly interesting but I really struggled with the way the university ran them which I believe was not productive for learning and could definitely be improved.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration was backwards to what I was used to - we received about 40 email a day most often about things irrelevant to me as a study abroad student yet you couldn't not check them as the lecturers would also contact you through here!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I stayed in Norfolk Tce on campus in a shared room which I thought was GREAT :) my room mate was the best and my other flatmates (14 of us in all) were also all fantastic. My biggest concern with the living arrangement was that the university cleaners came into your room once a week to change your bins/clean the sink which I personally found invasive and annoying and considered that I could have done myself. Otherwise the flats were so much fun

* Food:

My flat was self catered so obviously the food was fantastic ;)

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living with locals was the perfect way to become integrated with their culture

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Didn't need any vaccines to go to England, I understand that sexual health checks and medication was very easily accessible even for exchange students but other services were a little more difficult to access.

* Safety:

Norwich is a small ish town and I always felt safe coming home from town late at night and the taxi service was very affordable :)

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 40 pounds
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? walk to the Aldi to get your supermarket shopping, even though it's further I saved money for travelling later :)

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

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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?
  • The friends that I met and will keep in touch with :)
  • The experiences that I got to have of living half a world away
  • The ability it gave me to travel even further!
* What could be improved?
  • It was stressful to organise so systems could be made easier
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I don't think that you can tell it all because a huge part of it is leaping into the great unknown :)

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.