Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Everyone should Study Abroad at some point in their college career. Past Review

By (Presbyterian College) - abroad from 01/05/2012 to 06/09/2012 with

University of Roehampton: London - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how large the world really is. I have always lived in Columbia, SC which is relatively small and while I had traveled while growing up I was not prepared to truly live in a city of millions of people. I think this aspect of my trip was the most eye-opening of all the things I experienced. I would say that because of this I not only developed a greater worldview but also matured as a person.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were very interesting but the required work and exams were not as difficult as the same work at my home university.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The On-site administration were amazingly helpful at helping me to get settled in and making sure that the classes I wanted to take would be able to transfer back to my home university.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved the housing but the internet would go out every now and then.

* Food:

There were a ton of places the food was available was on campus but the options were pretty bland and expensive. There were a few places to eat off campus were excellent and relatively cheap for the amount of food that you received but every place was at least a 10 minute walk away. One major positive were the kitchens which worked extremely well and had plenty of refrigerators and cabinets for storage.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was in a flat with 28 other students which housed of mixture of Europeans from other countries such as Spain and Norway as well as a plethora of native English students.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

England is expensive and there were many times when I ran extremely low on available capital. It is possible to live on a students budget but in order to do so one must plan their purchases well in advance.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100-$150 a week on food and other expenses.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Shop for things that you can cook in your flat's kitchen. Eating out adds up very quickly.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

While I did not have to work on a foreign language for my university I know that the non-native english speakers I lived with and plenty of resources to assist in the learning and proper use of English.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced

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

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International 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?
  • Living in a foreign country.
  • The ease of travel between countries
  • Not needing to learn a foreign language but still having ample opportunity to do so.
* What could be improved?
  • Some type of meal plan would have been nice.
  • The ability to have a job while studying abroad.
  • Promotion of student discounts or deals available in the country one is studying in.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How much was going to cost. I knew that the cost of everything would be higher but i did not realize how much higher they were going to be. Additionally I did not budget for the standard charge my home bank would apply every time I pulled out money or put a charge on my card. Finally I wish I would have known about how large all the benefits for students were going to be. I knew that there were some available but was not aware that nearly every tore gave student discounts as well as benefits available online.