Studying Abroad in London was a Life Changing Experience Past Review

By Whitney L (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., University of Maine at Orono) for

USAC England: London - Arts, Business, History, Literature, and Politics

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Absolutely. I gained a lot from my experience, I'm much more confident and much more independent. It's changed my future plans, before I left I wanted to go to law school. Now I have no interest and would like to take a year off and possibly go back to London to study again for Grad School. I want to travel and I want to see everything I can in life.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	It was pretty much the same, really.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	It really was just awesome. Our advisor was amazing and super helpful with everything. They took us on tours of London, took us on the London Eye and trips to Scotland and Brighton, England. They were very helpful in general, it was a great program.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	London is such a big city, you need to travel for the nightlife. It was about a 20 minute walk to class, but I didn't really mind. The dorms weren't great, the toilets and showers tended to flood, but I got a new towel and sheets daily which was rather nice. There was someone in the office 24 hours though if you ever needed anything. They were also big on respect, we had 12 year olds living with us and they were very loud, but they made sure they were quiet so everyone had a comfortable living space.
* Food:	It was all very good, we had a supermarket in walking distance so we tried to save money and buy our own.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Brighton, England and Scotland were the trips we took and both were amazing. Scotland was just beautiful and I want to go there again so badly.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Travel in groups would be the biggest safety tip until you get used to the city. London is very big and it's always good to have a friend with you. Our campus had a health clinic and London had many hospitals. If something went wrong, there was always somewhere to turn.
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)

Language

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans International Students

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	London
* What could be improved?	Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	I think any study can benefit from this program. It's absolutely amazing and you're really in one of the most fantastic cities you can go too. There is always something to do, always people to meet. If you want to go, I suggest doing it. You will never get an opportunity like this ever again, take it now.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	British Literature
Course Department:	n/a
Instructor:	n/a
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I like and disliked this class. We got to go on many field trips to see where the authors came from. We even went on a trip to Cambridge, which was my favorite. Yet I was looking forward to a wider variety of books to be read. We read multiple Virginia Woolf and I would have rather just had read one and gotten to read another British Author.
Credit Transfer Issues:	n/a

Course Name/Rating:	British Film and Literature
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	I really enjoyed it. I had never experience British Film. He was always well prepared and at the end of the year we went on a trip to the British Film Institute, which was really cool.
Credit Transfer Issues:	None.