Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Anarchy In the UK Past Review

By (West Texas A&M University) - abroad from 01/28/2017 to 05/26/2017 with

USAC England: Brighton - Undergraduate Courses

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained confidence more than anything. Between adjusting to a completely new lifestyle, traveling around Europe, and experiencing many different types of cultures and lifestyles, I feel very secure in who I am as a person now and I feel like I gained confidence I had previously been lacking.

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.

I don't necessarily feel like I learned too much in my classes while I was abroad, even though I attended every single class. It may just have been the different style of teaching, but I felt very underwhelmed by my academic experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration for the Brighton program are INCREDIBLE. Mary and Becca are literally the absolute best! They are so willing to help students in any way they can. Not a bad thing to say about administration.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I enjoyed having my own room. I was also in a flat with American students, other internationals, and British students so I was quite exposed to many different cultures, which was great.

* Food:

I provided my own food but we had an adequate kitchen to cook in so there were no problems cooking.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very integrated with the culture! It was very easy to immerse myself in the British way of life and I was extremely exposed to local culture from the get go.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

All healthcare issues that I experienced secondhand were taken care of immediately. I never had any healthcare problems myself.

* Safety:

I never felt in danger while on the Brighton campus, or in the city of Brighton at all. Everyone is so friendly.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

I am so glad that i decided to go to Brighton! I had the time of my life and have nothing bad to say about the program at all.

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)

I brought a lot of money with me so I was okay, but it really isn't too hard to live on a students budget.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $100
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Be really careful to not spend all of your money at the beginning of your time abroad. I knew a few people who spent all of their money too early and didn't have any left at the end, which is definitely something you want to avoid.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Field trips
  • The on-site USAC Brighton staff (Mary and Becca)
  • Living with many different kinds of students
* What could be improved?
  • Different final at the end of the semester (an alternative to the 6 essays)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew how fast it flies by. I feel like it was gone so fast and sometimes I was too busy Snapchatting the memory instead of enjoying it!

Reasons For Studying Abroad

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The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.