Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Excellent Class and Excellent City, but I'd never live in Hoxton Again. Past Review

By (Rollins College) - abroad from 06/16/2017 to 07/08/2017 with

University of Westminster: London - Summer School

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a new sense of independence.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Westminster staff members were rude to students, unhelpful in the Dorm office and did not solve problems about living spaces that we brought to their attention.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was housed in Alexander Flemming Hall. The information on the website said that I would be sharing a Flat with either 6 or 8 students, however, when we arrived, there were 14 students in our flat sharing one shower (the other two were broken for the whole of our stay) and two functioning toilets (one of the three toilets was out of order for the whole of our stay. We were not provided with three keys as we should have been and therefore we couldn't lock the inner door. Other students from other floors used our kitchen and bathrooms as they pleased and generally left OUR flat a mess that we were then held responsible for. ON top of this, the security in the area was abysmal. There were multiple occasions where bar fights occurred outside of my window (I was on the ground floor) and one evening I heard a man threating to kill a woman outside of my window. I was dialing the police when they got in their car and drove away. I did not feel safe at all throughout my stay.

* Food:

There was good food within walking distance of the dorm, but the university didn't provide us with any.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It really wasn't very different from America, but I didn't get to spend any time with English students because we were housed with only American ones.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

N/A

* Safety:

Overall I didn't feel unsafe in London proper, only when I was at my dorm in Hoxton.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

I hated the ISA they didn't handle any of the problems we brought to their attention and penalized us when we went directly to Westminster about problems (with the dorm as mentioned before). I would never go anywhere with the ISA again.

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)

It's easy to live on a student budget for food, but if you want to do ANYTHING or go ANYWHERE the prices go up.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 200 pounds
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan what you want to do way ahead of time. And don't discount tiny restaurants because they seem sketchy. Ned's Noodles is a small place, but it's got the BEST Asian food.

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

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • The professor, Dave Hoser
  • The travel opportunities (Windsor/ Brighton)
  • The class
* What could be improved?
  • Please don't talk to students like they're five years old. We're Americans, we're not stupid.
  • Make sure that if a student's class is cancelled (like mine was), you inform them directly. Up until the day classes started I thought I was taking Children's Literature not Television in London
  • HOUSING and SAFETY
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew that there was a way to go to Westminster directly and not through the ISA. I feel like I would have had a better experience.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Television in London
Course Department:
Instructor: David Hoser
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: