Leicester: The Ultimate Study Abroad Experience Past Review
By Amy J (Insurance., Illinois State University) for
University of Leicester: Leicester - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I gained so much from studying abroad. I gained independence, a much better understanding of Europe and the world, and grew as a person tremendously. I am more confident and have met some of the most amazing people from all over the world. The experience honestly cannot be put into words. As I wanted my time there to last forever, it flew right by. I would do it over in a heartbeat, and encourage each and every college student to do the same. It hasn't changed my academic interests but it has definitely made me grow as a person.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was much smaller in England, but then again as a business major study abroad student I did not have to take tests like the local students. The grading system was different, a 70 and above was considered an A, so the professors grade much harder in a sense, but I ended up getting similar grades to what I received at ISU. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I feel like when it came to academic issues, finding tutors was almost impossible. Luckily, the professors were quick to help study abroad students and certainly helped me get accustomed to the English schooling system well. They didn't utilize internet like we do at ISU, so doing everything (like signing up for classes) was all done without the internet, making the process a bit more hectic. The program was a perfect size though, and in the end all the staff was very helpful and everything worked out fine. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The students lived in old mansions, which was good and bad at the same time. My room was huge, which was great. Unfortunately, we had to move completely out of our rooms before our 5 week spring break and only had certain times to put all of our stuff in the storage they provided, leaving us with no sheets/blankets to sleep with for a night. The bathrooms and showers were a bit outdated and not cleaned and/or kept up as nicely as we would have liked. We did have to provide our our bedding, but that was expected. As I said, the room was huge and there was a sink in most rooms which was handy. |
| * Food: |
I would give the food a 3 out of 10. I was used to a huge dining hall with all of the food one could ever want, and the transition to Leicester's food was not an enjoyable one. They only offered about two different things (either vegetarian or not). Therefore, it was difficult to eat healthy. They did provide salad but without dressing. It was just completely different to what I was used to, but after time it didn't bother me so much. It was quite annoying that they only served breakfast for a couple hours in the morning and dinner for an hour and a half at night, and there was no lunch provided. But that wouldn't stop me from studying there, because I had a great time. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We basically planned all of our excursions on our own. I chose not to participate in the "Leicester Semester" where the program planned trips to London and Berlin. But with the five week spring break, we got to travel plenty. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I had no experiences with healthcare, and there were no prevalent health issues in the area. I had general vaccines but none specific to the program. |
| 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? | Approximately $200, probably double to triple that while traveling. Being in England with the pound, dollars were easily spent. And obviously traveling can get very expense. It adds up quickly, so plan to spend a lot of money. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be aware that traveling is expense beforehand. You can choose to stay in cheaper hostels and such, but always remember safety risks, bed bugs, etc. I would recommend staying in places with kitchens so you can cook and don't have to spend money on going out to eat. Don't spend money on little things that you don't really need, like shopping, and be aware of the exchange rates. Also, an obvious tip is laying off on going out if you're running low on cash, because that is very expensive. There were some unanticipated expenses while traveling, such as more expensive trains and such. Other than that, the expenses were pretty much anticipated. |
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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