Best summer of my life! Past Review
By Michaela C (Consumer Merchandising/Retailing Management., University of Wisconsin - Madison) - abroad from 06/16/2014 to 07/24/2014 with
University of Westminster: London - Summer School
I gained so many lifelong friends and memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. I learned about another culture and got to explore one of the greatest cities in the world. I learned about being independent, problem solving, and believing in myself.
Review Photos
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 classes were well run and I learned a lot. Since classes were three hours a day, we didn't really have a lot of outside homework which was really nice so we had time to explore the city. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Marylebone was great. I liked having my own room and bathroom. Our kitchen was a good size and the cleaning staff was good. I made such great friends with the people on my floor. The only downside was not having wifi. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really liked the social program which made it easy to get out and learn about cultural aspects. The only downside was that most of the students in the program were also Americans, so it made it a little more difficult to really make friends with people from England or other countries. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I pretty much always felt safe, even walking around London during the day by myself or at night with a group. It's definitely smart to make sure you always are aware of your surroundings and personal belongings, though. The dorms have lots of security, too. |
| 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) |
London was a very expensive city and I definitely found it more difficult than I imagined to stick to a budget. Food was probably my biggest expense while abroad aside from travel expenses. Going to the grocery store and preparing your own meals helps, but going out sometimes was half of the fun of experience London. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy groceries right away and make as many meals at home as you can. Be smart with exchanging currencies, too. I would avoid using the exchanges at the airport because they have an incredibly large service charge. Definitely splurge sometimes on going out, but watch how much money you're spending. My friends would drink at the dorm prior to going out so we would save money on expensive drinks, and we would look for bars or clubs that were running deals. |
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
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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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | I honestly felt very well prepared to travel and study in another country prior to leaving. The only thing I wish I had known more about would be just how expensive everything was so I could have planned a budget better. |
