The Journey of Lifetime Past Review
By Shalisa R (Marketing., Illinois State University) for
University of Leicester: Leicester - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I believe that I gained countless qualities and understandings from my experience abroad. I learned so much about myself, became more independent and confident, and learned how to truly grasp and enjoy opportunities. I learned so much about different cultures and a new global outlook.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
It is a highly educational experience in just seeing and experiencing a different culture and place. The educational system is a bit different in that classes are always very large, but then you give the small classroom environment in a mandatory weekly seminar. There is also less grading available, so the only grade for your classes is typically an end of term essay that assessing how well you understand the semester's material. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The University of Leicester provided a great study abroad program that allowed all of the study abroad students to take part in education and sight-seeing trips of the country, as well as interaction with each other. The staff were very helpful with setting up classes and assisting in the Study Abroad Orientation Week, which introduced us to many aspects of the English university system and life style. I was very impressed and they made for a truly enjoyable experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a fellow student from Illinois State University by request. We lived in a beautiful Victorian style house on the Botanical Gardens and our housemates were both international students as well as local students. I thought this was a great experience because we were able to get a mix of culture. We had to buy items such as sheets and cookware for lunch, but we did have a catered meal plan for breakfast and dinner. The accommodation was beautiful and located in the student village, so it provided high interaction with other students! |
| * Food: |
The food was pretty good. Breakfast and dinner are only served at certain times and the time frame is strictly followed. Dinner is served cafeteria style, but the quantity is still good and I never heard complaints. There was also a non-catered option for students at this university if you wish to cook all of your own meals, although the catered plan is very convenient. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I went on a tour through Europe for three weeks before beginning my study abroad program, which was the best experience and cultural enlightening. During my study abroad program we went on some field trips in classes, including a field trip to the national art museum in London for my history of art class. This was a wonderful experience that introduced us to the culture as well. Many great weekend trips around the country were also offered by the program for international students, such as trips to Bath, Stonehenge, and many other wonderful places. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The host city, and especially the student village, is highly patrolled and a pretty safe place to live. I had one experience with healthcare and it was addressed well. I was given antibiotic and it worked well, as well as being very convenient to get with a pharmacy in the local ASDA (WalMart) store near the student village. |
| 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? | Expenses for food each week only included lunch if you are on the catered plan. This would probably convert to about 8 to 12 dollars a day. Personal expenses were higher because many of the international student took some weekend trips to other countries and cities in Europe. A weekend trip on average would cost me about $200 on a budget, including flights, meals, and hostel. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The expenses can be limited if you practice budgeting! It is also very affordable to travel to other places since the flights are cheap between western Europe countries and hostels are a very affordable means of accommodation. An unanticipated expense that I encountered was bad weather when I was supposed to return home. I would suggest having an emergency fund for an occasion like this, because we had to stay a couple days longer before we were able to fly out. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I think that a student that would benefit the most from this program is someone that wants to ease into experiencing a different culture because with this program there is no language barrier, but you will still experience something completely new from your lifestyle and have a highly enjoyable experience. The best advice I could give someone considering this program is to come with an open mind and make the most out of the great opportunity to life a different lifestyle for a semester and learn more about the world and oneself. |
